Origin

This character combines the radical for religious rituals and shrines on the left with a sound component on the right that hints at the pronunciation. The left part, which appears in many characters related to Shinto worship and prayer, establishes that this character has to do with spiritual or religious actions. The right component serves as a phonetic guide to how the character should be pronounced rather than contributing to the meaning. Together, the character represents the act of praying or making a wish at a shrine, which is why it carries those meanings today.