noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
respectful reading
Formal term for reading something aloud with respect, often used in contexts like reading imperial rescripts or sacred texts. Rare in everyday conversation.
式典で教育勅語を奉読する。
At the ceremony, they respectfully read the Imperial Rescript on Education aloud.
朗読 is a general term for reading aloud, often with expression, while 奉読 specifically implies a respectful, formal reading.
Compound of 奉 (ほう, 'to offer respectfully') and 読 (どく, 'to read'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of reading something in a reverent manner.