former appearance; original form
Refers to the way something looked or was in the past; often used in historical, literary, or descriptive contexts.
This temple retains much of its original appearance from the time of its founding.
古文書から、その儀式の古態を推測することができる。
From old documents, we can infer the original form of that ceremony.
Standard kanji spelling for 'former appearance/original form'.
Variant kanji form; less common than 古態.
Compound of 古 (old) and 態 (appearance, state). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the meaning 'former appearance'.