Examination, Verification

Interesting Fact

In ancient times, a horse wasn't judged by its appearance alone. Before it carried a warrior into battle or traveled long distances, it had to prove its speed, endurance, and obedience through real trials. Only after passing these tests was it considered trustworthy. That's why 験 includes the horse radical—it originally expressed the idea of verifying something through actual experience, a meaning that still survives today in words like 試験 (しけん) (examination) and 実験 (じっけん) (experiment).