type of mugwort, cover, hide
藾 centers on a specific plant (a type of mugwort) and the actions of covering or hiding, likely from the plant's use or growth habit.
藾 combines the grass radical 艹 with 賴, which likely provides the sound. The exact historical development of the meaning is uncertain.
The grass radical 艹 sits above 賴, like a plant that covers or hides the ground. Think of mugwort spreading and concealing the soil.
For ライ, imagine a mugwort plant lying over the ground to hide it: lie -> ライ, and the plant covers everything.
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