礼らい紙し

noun

wrapping paper for a letter; outer paper

Historical term for a sheet of paper used to wrap a formal letter, often in traditional Japanese correspondence.

• 昔むかしの手て紙がみでは、礼らい紙しで本ほん文ぶんを包つつむことがあった。

  In old letters, the main text was sometimes wrapped in a sheet called 礼紙.

noun

margin of a letter; blank space on a letter

Refers to the blank margin or extra space left on a formal letter, often for etiquette or aesthetic reasons. Rare, historical usage.

• 礼らい紙しの余よ白はくに、短みじかい追つい伸しんを書かき添そえることもあった。

  Sometimes a short postscript was added in the margin of the 礼紙.