礼 rite, ritual, courtesy, to bow, politeness, good manners, proper etiquette 礻,乚,

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MingLiU:

Mincho:

Gothic:

礼

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On-yomi [ Toggle rōmaji ]

レイ　･　ライ
RE　I　･　RA　I

Glyph elements [ Toggle Font ]

礻

シ,× show, display, indicate; altar for meat sacrifices, religion

　NO-LONGER-INTEGRATED FOOT DRIPPING VERTICALLY
…or: NO-LONGER-INTEGRATED FOOT with FLACCID ROD
　

乚

イン,オン,かく,かか,よ appendage capable of spewing venom; concealed threat

　APPENDAGE CAPABLE OF SPEWING VENOM
　

Meanings of elements

DISPLAY PENIS
…or: RELIGIOUS MYSTERIES
…or: NO-LONGER-INTEGRATED FOOT with FLACCID ROD and BENT PENIS

「Display penile appendage」suggesting that POLITENESS, ETIQUETTE dictates allowing the inspection of one's equipment prior to engaging a partner, or a shrine or temple service provider of the shaman as a COURTESY, in order to limit the potential spread of infection by following good MANNERS.
Perhaps depicting ingrained religious RITES and「mysterious displays」of RITUALISTIC behavior, that is, behavior performed automatically, such as washing prior to entering a shrine to remove uncleanness (well, the more obvious big chunks, anyway).
「Show, display」what is「hidden, kneeling」by BOWING over fully and revealing one's backside…bowing fully in ancient China entailed assuming the lordosis position, which in the case of males, enabled the inspection of the area behind the scrotum and the rectum (good manners in action).

External source definitions …excluding politically incorrect concepts and other meanings deemed offensive today; may include extended definitions, euphemisms, and mnemonics)
Chinese: gift; rite; ceremony; propriety; etiquette; courtesy
Japanese EDRDG: salute, bow, ceremony, thanks, remuneration
Unihan extended: social custom; manners; courtesy

Used within names (nanori)
あや　･　なり　･　のり　･　ひろし　･　れ

Always keep in mind that these glyphs most likely were originally designed by groups of clever old men as vulgar riddles for their own entertainment (see 籒 for that), representing Chinese society many thousands of years ago, but intended NOT as a written or spoken language when created. If these glyphs had been intended for language use, the sages could not have possibly designed a worse system! Is it truly possible that all these glyphs started out as off-color jokes and puzzles? Yes! It is, and often with multiple correct answers to each riddle, the same as is true today. Sex had no shame in ancient China. Why would it? But, have there been necessary rewrites and altered explanations of the original elemental meanings over the centuries?

No one is suggesting these glyphs depict contemporary life in China, Japan, or anywhere else. This site describes glyph meanings, not people. These glyphs however, describe many and various things, including people, long before there were any notions of becoming politically incorrect. The question to be answered is, should these glyphs continue being used, by anyone, anywhere, for expressing language? (More...) Despite how seemingly bad our human existence is today, do you actually believe that the so-called good old days were any better? Or could they have been worse?

By the way, with a limited number of the same elements used by the sages again and again to form these glyphs, you should expect to find the same explanations again and again, as tedious as that may become, and as an inherent trait of any lexicon. This site explains multiple meanings of glyphs ignored or censored by other sources, generally as being too embarrassing to admit today.