灯

See also: 燈

灯	U+706F, 灯 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-706F

← 灮
[U+706E]

CJK Unified Ideographs

灰 →
[U+7070]

Translingual

Japanese	灯
Simplified	灯
Traditional	燈

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲) : 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: 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

For pronunciation and definitions of 灯 – see 燈 (“lamp; light; lantern; etc.”). (This character, 灯, is the simplified form of 燈.)
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

灯

(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

灯(とう)火(か) (tōka)
灯(とう)油(ゆ) (tōyu)
灯(とう)籠(ろう) (tōrō)
幻(げん)灯(とう) (gentō)
夜(や)灯(とう) (yatō)
提(ちょう)灯(ちん) (chōchin)
行(あん)灯(どん) (andon)
鬼灯(ホオズキ) (hōzuki)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
灯
とう Grade: 4
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
燈 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 燈 (MC təŋ).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) とー [tóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [to̞ː]

Noun

灯(とう) • (tō) (kyūjitai 燈)

a light, lamp
Synonym: 明かり (akari)

Derived terms

灯(とう)心(しみ), 灯(とう)芯(しみ) (tōshimi)
終(しゅう)夜(や)灯(とう) (shūyatō)
電(でん)灯(とう) (dentō)
電(でん)気(き)灯(とう) (denkitō)

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) (kyūjitai 燈)

counter for 電灯 (dentō, “electric lights”)

Derived terms

一(いっ)灯(とう) (ittō)

Suffix

灯(とう) • (-tō) (kyūjitai 燈)

electric light

Derived terms

アーク灯(とう) (āku-tō)

Affix

灯(とう) • (tō) (kyūjitai 燈)

light, lamp
(by extension) Buddhist teaching

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
灯
ともし Grade: 4
irregular

Alternative spelling
燈 (kyūjitai)

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 [tòmóshí] (Heiban – [0])[1]
(Tokyo) ともし [tòmóshíꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
IPA^(key): [to̞mo̞ɕi]

Noun

灯(ともし) • (tomoshi) (kyūjitai 燈)

a light
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

Kanji in this term
灯
ともしび Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
燈 (kyūjitai) 灯火ともし火燭

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 [tòmóshíbí] (Heiban – [0])[1]
(Tokyo) ともしび [tòmóshíꜜbì] (Nakadaka – [3])[1]
IPA^(key): [to̞mo̞ɕibʲi]

Noun

灯(ともしび) • (tomoshibi) (kyūjitai 燈)

a light
- 1986, Hayao Miyazaki (lyrics), Joe Hisaishi (music), “Kimi o Nosete [Reaching You]”, 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 [and] glittering lights.
Synonyms: 明かり (akari), 灯火 (tōka)
a lit flame (such as of a candle or torch)
(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

Kanji in this term
灯
とぼし Grade: 4
irregular

Alternative spellings
燈 (kyūjitai) 点火

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 [tòbóshí] (Heiban – [0])[1]
(Tokyo) とぼし [tòbóshíꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
IPA^(key): [to̞bo̞ɕi]

Noun

灯(とぼし) • (toboshi) (kyūjitai 燈)

(archaic) an indoor torch
(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) (kyūjitai 燈)

a placename

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
灯
とぼしび Grade: 4
irregular

Alternative spellings
燈 (kyūjitai) 灯火燭

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) (kyūjitai 燈)

(archaic) Alternative form of 灯 (tomoshibi)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
灯
あかし Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
燈 (kyūjitai)

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 明かす (akasu, “to go through the whole night”).[2]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) あかし [àkáshí] (Heiban – [0])[1]
IPA^(key): [a̠ka̠ɕi]

Noun

灯(あかし) • (akashi) (kyūjitai 燈)

a light, lamp
- 1987, Takashi Taka (lyrics), Kōshō Inomata (music), “Abare-daiko [Raging Drums]”, 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, [all] wearing yukata in the passing summer.
(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

Kanji in this term
灯
ひ Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
燈 (kyūjitai)

Cognate with and extension of 火 (hi, “fire”).[2]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ひ [híꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [çi]

Noun

灯(ひ) • (hi) (kyūjitai 燈)

a light, lamp
- 1986, Hayao Miyazaki (lyrics), Joe Hisaishi (music), “Kimi o Nosete [Reaching You]”, 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 [lights, I feel] nostalgic[; and I know] you are in one of them.
Synonym: 明かり (akari)

Derived terms

灯(ひ)涼(すず)し (hisuzushi, “coolness of twinkling lights”)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJS-2] 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN