Wu Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Sickness (bìng) Lai (leprosy) Kangxi stroke count: 21 Page 782, Entry 41 Tang Dynasty Rhymes (Tangyun), Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), Dictionary of Rhymes (Yunhui), and Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun) state it is pronounced lai (falling tone). According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen), it refers to a malignant disease. In the Analects of Confucius (Lunyu), it is stated that Boniu suffered from a disease. The commentary notes that earlier scholars considered this to be leprosy. The original form was written as li (falling tone). Also, according to the Expanded Rhymes (Guangyun) and Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced la (entering tone). It is the same as the character la (entering tone).