Archaic noun for flattery or insincere speech; not used in modern everyday Japanese. Found in classical texts or fixed expressions.
In classical texts, 佞 means flattery or insincerity.
treacherous; wicked; perverse
flattery; cajolery; adulation
perverseness; perverse person
craftiness; cunning; wily intelligence
The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 佞 is conventionally associated with flattery and insincerity.