佞
flattery, insincerity
Readings
On'yomi
- ネイ
Kun'yomi
- おもね.る
- よこしま
Meaning
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.
Most common words using 佞
- 佞武多ねぶた
Nebuta; nighttime festival in Tōhoku (esp. Aomori)
- 佞ねい
flattery; insincerity
- 佞むかだむ
to deceive; to fool; to lie
- 佞人ねいじん
flatterer; smooth talker; crafty person
- 佞姦ねいかん
treacherous; wicked; perverse
- 佞弁ねいべん
flattery; cajolery; adulation
- 佞悪ねいあく
perverseness; perverse person
- 佞智ねいち
craftiness
- 佞者ねいしゃ
smooth talker; crafty person
- 佞臣ねいしん
crafty courtier; traitor
- 便佞べんねい
flattery; adulation
- 奸佞邪知かんねいじゃち
wiles and cunning; craftiness and treachery
- 阿諛便佞あゆべんねい
flattery; adulation; sycophancy
Study
Etymology
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.
Meaning mnemonic
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.
Reading mnemonic
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.