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幻灯 (げんとう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

幻げん灯とう

げ

ん

と

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

slide (for projection)

Refers to a transparent slide used in a projector, similar to a photographic slide. The term is somewhat dated; modern usage often prefers スライド.

See also: スライド

祖そ父ふは古ふるい幻げん灯とうを整せい理りしていた。
My grandfather was sorting through old projection slides.

2

noun

magic lantern

Historical device for projecting images, a precursor to the slide projector. Often encountered in historical or literary contexts.

Written forms

幻げん灯とうUsage43%
Standard modern kanji spelling.
幻げん燈とうUsage48%
out-dated kanji form
Out-dated kanji form using 燈 instead of 灯.
げんとうUsage7%
ゲントウ

See also:

幻げん灯とう機きは19世せい紀きに人にん気きがあった。
Magic lanterns were popular in the 19th century.

Usage

2%

Kanji

幻phantasm, vision, dream
灯lamp, a light, light
燈lamp, light, counter for lights

Similar words

スライド
Modern loanword for 'slide' (both photographic and presentation). 幻灯 is an older, more traditional term.
幻げん灯とう機き
Specifically refers to the magic lantern device itself, while 幻灯 can mean either the slide or the device.

Etymology

Compound of 幻 (phantom, illusion) and 灯 (light), literally 'phantom light'. The term was coined in the late 19th century to describe the magic lantern and its slides.