noun
lamp soot; lampblack
Refers to the fine black soot produced by burning oil or fat, traditionally used in making ink (sumi) and as a pigment.
油煙は墨の原料として使われる。
Lamp soot is used as a raw material for ink.
この絵の具は油煙から作られている。
This paint is made from lampblack.
Compound of 油 (yu, 'oil') and 煙 (en, 'smoke'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word directly describes the sooty smoke from burning oil.