強盗返がんどうがえし

Meanings

revolving stage mechanism (kabuki)

A kabuki stage device: a section of the stage floor rotates backward 90 degrees to reveal the next scene. A specialized theatrical term.

歌か舞ぶ伎きの舞ぶ台たいでは、強盗がんどう返がえしを使つかって場ば面めんを素す早ばやく転てん換かんする。
On the kabuki stage, they use the revolving mechanism to change scenes quickly.
強盗がんどう返がえしは、もともと龕がん灯どうの仕し組くみから名な付づけられたと言いわれる。
It is said that the revolving stage mechanism was originally named after the mechanism of a revolving lantern.

Kanji

強strong
盗steal, rob, pilfer
返return, answer, fade
龕alcove for an image
灯lamp, a light, light
燈lamp, light, counter for lights

Related words

廻まわり舞ぶ台たい
A larger revolving stage that rotates horizontally, unlike 強盗返し which is a smaller backward-rolling section.
龕がん灯どう
A type of revolving lantern whose mechanism inspired the name of this stage device.

Written forms

強盗返し
- がんどうがえし
  Most common modern spelling, though the word itself is a specialized term.
- がんとうがえし
龕灯返し
- がんどうがえし
  Alternate kanji form using 龕灯 (a type of lantern), reflecting the original mechanism's resemblance to a revolving lantern. Rarely used.
- がんとうがえし
龕燈返し
out-dated kanji form
- がんどうがえし
  Archaic spelling with 燈 (old form of 灯). It is out-dated kanji usage.
- がんとうがえし
がんどう返がえし
Kana-mixed spelling sometimes seen in explanations, using がんどう for the first part.
がんとうがえし

Etymology

Literally 'lantern reversal'. Named after the 龕灯 (a revolving lantern) because the stage mechanism's backward rotation resembles the lantern's movement. The kanji 強盗 (robber) is ateji used for its sound.