CJK Unified Ideograph-8201

It means lifting or carrying something together. Chinese dictionaries gloss 舁 (yú) as to carry, bring, or load; the core image is a coordinated lift, not one person hauling a bag.

As of 2026, the oldest secure reference supported here is the Han-era Shuowen Jiezi, which defines it as “jointly raise.” Its analysis joins 𦥑 and 廾 — two pairs of hands — so the practical job was naming shared lifting. The sources checked do not establish an earlier oracle-bone or bronze attestation.

Later Chinese use extends the action to bringing or loading; compounds such as 舁夫 name the bearers of a sedan chair or coffin.

Why is it in Japanese festival words?

It is a rare kanji kept alive by festivals. Japanese dictionaries mark 舁 as a hyōgai kanji with readings よ, かく, and かつぐ. Outside festivals you will seldom meet it in everyday Japanese.

Hakata Gion Yamakasa materials, as of 2026, use 舁く for shouldering the festival float and 舁き手 for its carriers; Fukuoka’s city guide calls the moving float 舁き山笠. This is a living festival convention, not a new internet meaning.

The documented family is structural: 𦥠 is an alternative form, while references list 輿/舆, 興, and 與 as forms containing or developing the 舁 component. They share character history; they are not interchangeable translations.