also: じょうや
noun
perpetual night; eternal darkness
Only with reading とこよ
Refers to a state of endless night, often used in mythological, poetic, or metaphorical contexts. The reading is とこよ.
神話では、世界はかつて常夜に包まれていたと語られる。
In mythology, it is said that the world was once shrouded in perpetual night.
noun
continuing all night; all-night
Only with reading じょうや
Describes something that lasts throughout the night. The reading じょうや is rare and may be found in classical or literary works; modern usage is very limited.
古い文献には「常夜の宴」という表現が見られる。
In old documents, the expression 'all-night banquet' can be found.
The word is composed of 常 (eternal, constant) and 夜 (night). The reading とこよ is a native Japanese reading (kun'yomi) of the kanji, while じょうや is a Sino-Japanese reading (on'yomi). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical Japanese literature to describe mythological or poetic concepts of endless night.