You Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Speech (yán) Lei Kangxi strokes: 13 Page 1160, Entry 10 Pronounced lei (rising tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Writing and Analysis of Characters): To bestow a posthumous title. Shiming (Explanation of Names): To accumulate. To list and recount one's deeds in praise. Guangyun (Broad Rhymes): To pile up. To recount the merits and virtues of predecessors. Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou), Spring Officials, Great Invoker: Compose six types of ceremonial rhetoric to facilitate communication between superiors and subordinates, relatives and strangers, and those near and far; the sixth is called a eulogy. Commentary: This refers to accumulating one's virtuous conduct during life and bestowing a mandate; the master of ceremonies composes the text for this. Zuo Zhuan (Zuo Commentary), 16th Year of Duke Ai: Confucius passed away, and the Duke issued a eulogy for him. Zigong said: In life, you could not employ him, yet in death you issue a eulogy; this is not consistent with ritual. Book of Rites (Liji), Tan Gong: Duke Zhuang of Lu fought the Song people at Chengqiu, his horse was startled, the battle was lost, and Xuan Benfu and Bu Guo died in the conflict. The Duke said: It was not their fault. He then issued a eulogy for them. This was the beginning of scholars receiving eulogies. Zengzi Wen (Questions of Zengzi): The low do not eulogize the high; the young do not eulogize the elder; this is ritual. Only the Son of Heaven may invoke Heaven to eulogize; for feudal lords to eulogize one another is contrary to ritual. Commentary: To repeatedly recount one's lifelong conduct is a eulogy, used to determine a posthumous title and address them accordingly. Also, prayers and sacrifices utilize eulogies. Analects of Confucius (Lunyu): The eulogy says: I pray for you to the gods of heaven and earth. Commentary: To accumulate merit and virtue in seeking blessings. Annotation: A eulogy is a text lamenting the dead and recounting their conduct. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Writing and Analysis of Characters) records the variant form lei. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Writing and Analysis of Characters) notes the original form was written as the character variant. Juyao (Essential Principles) records that in the Yan Fa, it is written as the character variant, which is incorrect. The origin of the character follows the radical for hair/bristles (shan) and the form for hook (yi) protruding at the top.