燈
lamp, light, counter for lights
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- ひ
- ほ-
- ともしび
- とも.す
- あかり
Meaning
燈 centers on a source of illumination: a lamp, a light, or a device that produces light. The counter sense is a natural extension for counting such light sources.
Most common words using 燈
- 九蓮宝燈チューレンポートー
nine gates; winning hand composed of 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 of the same suit plus one additional tile of the same suit
- 御神燈ごしんとう
light used as a religious offering
- 景徳傳燈録けいとくでんとうろく
Transmission of the Lamp (collection of biographies of famous Zen masters); Record of the Transmission of the Lamp
- 燃燈仏ねんとうぶつ
Dīpankara Buddha; Dipankara (the lamp bearer)
- 燈籠鬢とうろうびん
Edo-period hair style with inflated hair at the sides; lantern sideburns
- 秋田竿燈まつりあきたかんとうまつり
Akita Kantō Festival (3-6 August)
- 竿燈かんとう
Kanto Festival (Akita)
Study
Etymology
燈 combines 火 (fire) with 登, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of rising or ascending, perhaps from the rising flame of a lamp. The character is the traditional form; the modern simplified form is 灯.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is fire 火, and the right side 登 looks like a stand with a vessel on top. Picture a fire burning on a raised stand, making a lamp that gives light.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, imagine a tall lamp in a tower: tower -> トウ, and the lamp's fire rises high like the tower.