癩
leprosy
Readings
On'yomi
- ライ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
癩 centers on leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that causes skin lesions and nerve damage.
Most common words using 癩
- 癩らい
Hansen's disease; leprosy; leper
- 救癩きゅうらい
helping lepers
- 救癩協会きゅうらいきょうかい
Leprosy Relief Association
- 癩の瘡うらみかったいのかさうらみ
excessive envy (of someone in much the same position as oneself); envy of a leper's pockmarks
- 癩病患者らいびょうかんじゃ
leper
- 癩療養所らいりょうようじょ
leprosarium; leper colony
- 癩者らいしゃ
leper
- 白癩しらはたけ
vitiligo; leucoderma; leukoderma
- 白癩びゃくらい
white leprosy
- 黒癩こくらい
black leprosy
Study
Etymology
癩 combines the sickness radical 疒 with 賴, which likely provides the sound ライ. The character was created to specifically denote leprosy.
Meaning mnemonic
The sickness enclosure 疒 wraps around 賴, a component that suggests reliance. Picture a person with leprosy relying on others for care as the disease takes hold.
Reading mnemonic
For ライ, imagine a person with leprosy lying in bed, and the sound of their labored breathing is a raspy 'rai' — ライ.