灯

Translingual

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声) : semantic 火 + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ).

Han character

Stroke order

灯 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+2, 6 strokes, cangjie input 火一弓 (FMN), composition ⿰火丁)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 665, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 18855
• Dae Jaweon: page 1075, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2188, character 3
• Unihan data for U+706F

Chinese

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 燈)

Readings

As shinjitai/variant kanji of 燈:

• Go-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)
• Tō-on: とん (ton)

As unsimplified kanji 灯:

• Go-on: ちょう (chō)^{←ちやう (tyau, historical)}
• Kan-on: てい (tei)
• Tō-on: ちん (chin)

Readings shared by both kanji:

• Kun: ひ (hi, 灯, Jōyō); あかし (akashi, 灯); ともしび (tomoshibi, 灯)

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 燈 (MC tong).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) と​ー (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(とう) • (tō) 

1. a light, lamp

   Synonym: 明かり (akari)

Derived terms

Proverbs

• 灯(とう)滅(めっ)せんとして光(ひかり)を増(ま)す (tō messen to shite hikari o masu)

Counter

灯(とう) • (-tō) 

1. counter for 電灯 (dentō, “electric lights”)

Derived terms

• 一(いっ)灯(とう) (ittō)

Suffix

灯(とう) • (-tō) 

1. electric light

Derived terms

• アーク灯(とう) (āku-tō)

Affix

灯(とう) • (tō) 

1. light, lamp
2. (by extension) Buddhist teaching

Etymology 2

First attested around the 10th century.

Nominalization of 点し (tomoshi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 点す (tomosu, “to light”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ともし (Heiban – )
• (Tokyo) ともし​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(ともし) • (tomoshi) 

1. a light
2. Alternative spelling of 照射 (tomoshi): a torch used to bait deer when night hunting

Derived terms

• 灯(ともし)油(あぶら) (tomoshiabura)
• 灯(ともしび) (tomoshibi)

Etymology 3

Compound of 点し (tomoshi, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 点す (tomosu), “to light”) +‎ 火 (hi, “fire”).

The hi changes to bi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ともしび (Heiban – )
• (Tokyo) ともし​び (Nakadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(ともしび) • (tomoshibi) 

1. a light

   Synonyms: 明かり (akari), 灯火 (tōka)

   • 1986, “Kimi o Nosete [Reaching You]”, Hayao Miyazaki (lyrics), Joe Hisaishi (music), performed by Azumi Inoue:

     地(ち)球(きゅう)はまわる君(きみ)をかくして　輝(かがや)く瞳(ひとみ)きらめく灯(ともしび)...

     Chikyū wa mawaru kimi o kakushite kagayaku hitomi kirameku tomoshibi

     The Earth spins, hiding your shining pupils glittering lights.

2. a lit flame (such as of a candle or torch)
3. (historical, obsolete) under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of the Heian period, a kind of scholarship granted to university students

Derived terms

• 灯(ともしび)消(き)えんとして光(ひかり)を増(ま)す (tomoshibi kien to shite hikari o masu)

Etymology 4

Nominalization of 点し (toboshi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 点す (tobosu, “to light”, archaic).

Equivalent to a shift from tomoshi above, with the nasal /-m-/ becomes plosive /-b-/.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) とぼし (Heiban – )
• (Tokyo) とぼし​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(とぼし) • (toboshi) 

1. (archaic) an indoor torch
2. (archaic) Alternative form of 灯 (tomoshi)

Derived terms

• 灯(とぼし)油(あぶら) (toboshiabura)
• 灯(とぼしび) (toboshibi)

Proper noun

灯(とぼし) • (Toboshi) 

1. a placename

Etymology 5

Compound of 点し (toboshi, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 点す (tobosu), “to light”, archaic) +‎ 火 (hi, “fire”). The hi changes to bi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Equivalent to a shift from tomoshibi above, the nasal /-m-/ becomes plosive /-b-/.

Noun

灯(とぼしび) • (toboshibi) 

1. (archaic) Alternative form of 灯 (tomoshibi)

Etymology 6

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 明かす (akasu, “to go through the whole night”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あかし (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(あかし) • (akashi) 

1. a light, lamp
   • 1987, “Abare-daiko [Raging Drums]”, Takashi Taka (lyrics), Kōshō Inomata (music), performed by Fuyumi Sakamoto:

     櫓(やぐら)太(だい)鼓(こ)の灯(あかし)がゆれて　揃(そろ)い浴衣(ゆかた)の夏(なつ)がゆく

     yagura-daiko no akashi ga yurete soroi yukata no natsu ga yuku

     The festival-commencing lamp sways, wearing yukata in the passing summer.

2. (Shinto, Buddhism) a light (or lighted lamp) offered to a kami or buddha

   Synonym: 御灯, 御明かし, 御灯明 (miakashi)

Derived terms

• 御(み)灯(あかし) (miakashi)

Etymology 7

Cognate with and extension of 火 (hi, “fire”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひ​ (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

灯(ひ) • (hi) 

1. a light, lamp

   Synonym: 明かり (akari)

   • 1986, “Kimi o Nosete [Reaching You]”, Hayao Miyazaki (lyrics), Joe Hisaishi (music), performed by Azumi Inoue:

     ...たくさんの灯(ひ)が懐(なつ)かしいのは　あのどれかひとつに君(きみ)がいるから

     takusan no hi ga natsukashii no wa ano doreka hitotsu ni kimi ga iru kara

     ...among the many nostalgic you are in one of them.