靉
clouds
Strokes25
Readings
On'yomi
- アイ
- イ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
靉 centers on clouds, specifically a dense, dark, or overcast sky. The single given meaning is straightforward, but the character is rare and its usage is limited to this atmospheric sense.
Most common words using 靉
- 靉靆あいたい
trailing (clouds); thick; heavy
Study
Etymology
靉 combines 雲 (cloud) with 愛, which likely contributes the sound アイ. The character is a phono-semantic compound where 雲 provides the meaning and 愛 the reading.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is 雲 (cloud), and the right side is 愛 (love). Imagine a sky so full of love that it forms thick, dark clouds—靉 is those dense clouds.
Reading mnemonic
For アイ, picture an eye (アイ) in the sky peering through the dark clouds: eye -> アイ, and the clouds are so thick you can barely see it.