You Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Wine (yǒu) Kangxi Strokes: 14 Page 1283, Entry 13 Pronounced mei (level tone). In Sound Rhymes (Jiyun), it refers to the base of wine. Sometimes written as a variant form (mei). In Five Sounds Rhyme Collection (Wuyin Jiyun), it refers to the mother of wine (yeast). Also, in Rhyme Meetings (Yunhui), it is used interchangeably with the word for go-between (mei). In History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), biography of Li Ling, it mentions stirring up his shortcomings. The commentary by Meng Kang states: mei refers to wine starter, and nie refers to malt. It means to brew up a crime. Yan Shigu states: The people of Qi call yeast cakes mei.