Origin

This character appears to be a picture of a tree or plant with branches spreading upward, similar to how the character 木 (tree) is drawn. However, 未 shows a more stylized or simplified form. The connection between this tree-like image and the meanings "not yet" or "unfinished" likely comes from the idea of something incomplete or in progress — like a tree that has not yet fully grown or come to maturity. Over time, the visual meaning shifted to represent the abstract concept of incompleteness or things still to come. The character also came to mean the ram or sheep, possibly from a separate association or folk etymology that is now unclear.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Pictographic or simple.