叡
intelligence, imperial
Readings
On'yomi
- エイ
Kun'yomi
- あき.らか
Meaning
叡 centers on deep, penetrating insight, especially the kind associated with wise or imperial judgment. The 'imperial' sense is a specific application of that profound intelligence.
Most common words using 叡
- 比叡山ひえいざん
Mt. Hiei (in Kyoto)
- 叡山菫えいざんすみれ
Viola eizanensis (flower in the violet family)
- 叡感えいかん
emperor's approval
- 叡慮えいりょ
the emperor's pleasure
- 叡旨えいし
the emperor's instructions
- 叡王えいおう
Eiō (one of the eight major professional titles of shogi)
- 叡聞にえいぶんに
(in the) emperor's hearing
- 叡覧えいらん
the emperor's personal inspection
Study
Etymology
叡 combines 睿 (deep understanding, wise) with 又 (hand), possibly reinforcing the idea of active, discerning intelligence. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the components consistently point to profound insight.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 睿 suggests a penetrating eye (目) under a cover (冖) with marks of discernment above, while the right side 又 is a hand. Together, they picture a hand lifting the cover to reveal deep, imperial-level intelligence.
Reading mnemonic
For エイ, imagine an emperor named 'A' (エイ) who possesses supreme intelligence, using his hand (又) to uncover hidden truths.