黎
dark, black, many
Readings
On'yomi
- レイ
- リ
Kun'yomi
- くろ.い
Nanori
- れ
Meaning
黎 centers on darkness and blackness, often with a sense of multitude or many people. The 'many' meaning likely extends from the idea of a dark, indistinct mass of people.
Most common words using 黎
- 黎明れいめい
daybreak; dawn; gray of the morning (grey)
- 萌黎ほうれい
the masses; common people
- 黎元れいげん
commoners; the masses
- 黎族リーぞく
Li (people)
- 黎明会れいめいかい
Reimeikai; progressive political society at various universities in Japan (1918-1920)
- 黎明期れいめいき
dawn (of a new era, civilization, etc.); dawning
- 黎民れいみん
commoners; the masses
- 黔黎けんれい
commoners; peasantry; the masses
Study
Etymology
黎 originally depicted a dark, sticky substance like millet glue, combining 黍 (millet) with a component suggesting blackness. The 'many' sense may derive from the multitude of grains or people associated with darkness.
Meaning mnemonic
The top part 黍 looks like a plant with hanging grains, and the lower part suggests something dark and sticky. Imagine a dark, thick paste made from many millet grains, representing darkness and multitude.
Reading mnemonic
For レイ, picture a dark ray of light (a contradiction) shining on a mass of people: ray -> レイ, and the dark crowd is 黎.