noun
original kanji form; base kanji form
Refers to the original or base kanji character from which a variant, simplified, or derived form developed. Used in discussions of character etymology, orthography, and historical linguistics.
「国」の原字は「國」です。
The original kanji form of 国 is 國.
この漢字の原字は甲骨文字にまで遡ることができる。
The original form of this kanji can be traced back to oracle bone script.
Compound of 原 (gen, 'original') and 字 (ji, 'character'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern Japanese to discuss the original forms of kanji.