1252/2000JLPT: N1School Grade: Junior high schoolThis character is a combination of 亻 person an

1252/2000

JLPT: N1

School Grade: Junior high school

This character is a combination of 亻 person and 義 righteousness. 義 is a phonetic element signaling the on’yomi, while also lending its own meaning. Here it also carries a connotation of “correctness” and “rationality.” Together with 亻, it gave a meaning of “righteous (correct) person,” and over time came instead to refer to “the ways in which a person becomes righteous.” This gives the current meanings of “rule/convention.” “Ceremony” is an associated meaning.