The kanji 凌 generally conveys the meaning of overcoming, surpassing, or enduring something difficult. It often suggests a sense of triumph over adversity or going beyond limitations. It can also imply a sense of encroachment or intrusion.

・On-yomi (音読み): リョウ (ryou) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): しの.ぐ (shino.gu)

⚫︎ 凌駕 (ryouga) Translation: Surpassing; exceeding; going beyond. ⚫︎ 凌辱 (ryoujoku) Translation: Insult; outrage; violation. ⚫︎ 寒さを凌ぐ (samusa o shinogu) Translation: To endure the cold; to brave the cold.

The kanji 凌 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. The phonetic component is 冫 (ni, pronounced "rei" in this context), representing ice or cold, while the semantic component is 夌 (ryou). The original meaning likely related to "cold", then evolved to signify enduring or overcoming something difficult like the cold. The 夌 part, which is not commonly used on its own, adds the nuance of climbing over or surpassing.