fireside; hearthside
Refers specifically to the area around a traditional Japanese sunken hearth (囲炉裏). Evokes a cozy, old-fashioned domestic scene.
My grandmother told me old stories by the fireside.
On winter nights, the family gathered around the hearth.
囲炉裏 is the sunken hearth itself, while 囲炉裏端 is the area around it.
炉端 is a more general term for 'fireside' or 'hearthside', not limited to the traditional 囲炉裏.
Standard kanji spelling for the area around a traditional sunken hearth.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; common in everyday writing when the full kanji 囲炉裏 is considered difficult.
Compound of 囲炉裏 (irori, 'sunken hearth') and 端 (hata, 'edge, side'). The reading ばた is a rendaku form of はた.