明かり

明かり

Japanese

Kanji in this term
明
あ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
明り 明 灯かり 灯り 灯

Etymology

The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 明(あ)かる (akaru, “to become bright”)..[1][2][3]

This term originally referred to natural light, while the sense of lamp or lighting was expressed using the term 灯火 (tomoshibi, literally “set alight + fire”). The term akari gained its modern lighting sense during the late Edo period, and has now largely displaced tomoshibi for this sense.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あかり [àkárí] (Heiban – [0])[3][4]
• IPA^(key): [a̠ka̠ɾʲi]

Noun

明(あ)かり • (akari) 

1. [from 1163] light

   Synonym: 光 (hikari)

2. 灯り: [from 1809] lighting, a light, a lamp, artificial illumination

   Synonyms: 照明 (shōmei), (archaic) 灯火 (tomoshibi), ランプ (ranpu), 電灯 (dentō, specifically electric light), 電気 (denki, specifically electric light)

   明(あ)かりを点(つ)ける。

   Akari o tsukeru.

   Turn on the light.

3. [from 1603] a bright place; (figuratively) a public place
4. [from 1701] a positive sign amidst adversity (compare English light at the end of the tunnel)
5. [from 1780] (figuratively) evidence that dispels a question or doubt

   Synonym: 証し (akashi)

6. [from 1566] (figuratively) the end of a period of time or a dark mood (compare English dawn, daybreak)

   Synonym: 明け (ake, literally “dawn”)

Related terms

• 明(あか)るい (akarui, “bright”)
• 明(あ)ける (akeru, “to dawn”)
• 明(あ)け (ake, “dawn, daybreak”)
• 明(あき)らか (akiraka, “obvious, clear”)

References

1. “明かり”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN