The kanji 累 primarily conveys the idea of "accumulation," "repetition," "to pile up," or "to involve." It suggests a build-up of something, whether it be a physical quantity, an abstract concept, or a consequence. It often implies a negative connotation, such as being burdened or suffering due to an accumulation of problems or issues.

・On-yomi (音読み): ・rui (ルイ) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・kasa(neru) (かさねる): to pile up, to accumulate, to repeat ・kusure (くすれ)

⚫︎疲労が累積する。 Translation: Fatigue accumulates. ⚫︎累犯 Translation: Recidivist (repeat offender) ⚫︎累計 Translation: Total; cumulative

The kanji 累 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. It is formed by combining the semantic component 田 (ta) which means "field" or "cultivated land" and the phonetic component 糸 (ito) which means "thread" or "silk". The original meaning related to the concept of 田 representing a field being divided into smaller plots or the weaving of a net, indicating accumulation or grouping together. It can be seen as representing the concept of threads accumulating to form a larger whole, signifying the idea of building up or accumulating.