来
ライ, タイ, く.る, きた.る, きた.す, き.たす, き.たる, き, こ, くり, くる, ごろ, さ

come, due, next, cause, become

JLPT5 G2 S7 F102

A depiction of a barley plant, emphasizing the rows of pendent fruits of grain concealed in husks (compare 米). 夂 leg/foot pointed downward was added to yield a new character, 麥, meaning "come" → plant come from Central Asia. However, the meanings of 麥 and 來 were eventually inverted, so that 麥/麦 now means barley and 來/来 *come* → *since*; *until now*; *future*; *next/the coming* (week etc.) → *cause*; *bring about* (← come about).

[Full Kanji Etymology List]