遡 means “go upstream, trace back”
さかのぼる · sakanoboru
Also: retrace the past
- Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
- さかのぼる
- On'yomi (Chinese reading)
- ソ, サク
JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes
The story
Walking (辶) back to 朔, the new moon that starts the month: going back to the beginning. 遡る is to go upstream, as salmon do in autumn, or back in time: a custom that 江戸時代に遡る dates back to Edo times.
Used in 遡る (sakanoboru, to go back/go upstream), 遡上 (sojou, swimming upstream), and 遡及 (sokyuu, retroactivity)
More from Routes & Returns
- 臨 face
- 還 return
- 至 reach
- 滞 stagnate
- 沿 run along
- 巡 go around
- 往 go
- 軌 track
- 逸 deviate
- 搬 carry
- 循 circulate
- 旋 revolve
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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.