flattery, insincerity
佞 centers on dishonest speech used to gain favor: flattery and insincerity. The idea is of words that are not genuine but are meant to manipulate or please.
佞 is composed of 仁 (which here likely acts as a phonetic with a sense of 'clever' or 'smooth') and 女 (woman), suggesting smooth or flattering speech. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the combination points to insincere eloquence.
Imagine a person (the 仁 part, which looks like a person standing) using smooth words to flatter a woman (女) inside. The outer person is being insincere just to win her favor.
For ネイ, picture a flatterer saying 'Nay, nay!' (like 'no, no' in old English) while actually meaning the opposite, being insincere. The sound 'nay' cues ネイ.
Nebuta; nighttime festival in Tōhoku (esp. Aomori)
flattery; insincerity
to deceive; to fool; to lie
flatterer; smooth talker; crafty person
treacherous; wicked; perverse
flattery; cajolery; adulation
perverseness; perverse person
craftiness
smooth talker; crafty person
crafty courtier; traitor
flattery; adulation
wiles and cunning; craftiness and treachery
flattery; adulation; sycophancy