The kanji 歴 歴 fundamentally conveys the concept of "history," "career," or "a trace of something that has happened or passed." It implies the sequence of events over time, or the accumulated past. It often relates to a record, a period, or a chronological progression of events.

・On-yomi (音読み): レキ (reki) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, but it is often used in compound words.

⚫︎ 歴史 Translation: history ⚫︎ 経歴 Translation: career; personal history ⚫︎ 履歴書 Translation: resume; curriculum vitae (CV)

The kanji 歴 歴 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The radical on the left side is 厂 (がん, gan), which can mean "cliff" or "rock shelter". The right side is 秝 (reki), a phonetic component, implying that the sound of the character is レキ (reki). The overall meaning suggests a trace or mark left on a cliff or wall, representing the passage of time or the accumulation of events.