明かり

Japanese

Kanji in this term
明
あ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
明り 明 灯かり 灯り 灯

Etymology

The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 明(あ)かる (akaru, “to become bright”)..

This term originally referred to natural light, while the sense of lamp or lighting was expressed using the term 灯火 (tomoshibi, literally “set alight + fire”). The term akari gained its modern lighting sense during the late Edo period, and has now largely displaced tomoshibi for this sense.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あかり [àkárí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ka̠ɾʲi]

Noun

明(あ)かり • (akari) 

1. [from 1163] light

   Synonym: 光 (hikari)

2. 灯り: [from 1809] lighting, a light, a lamp, artificial illumination

   Synonyms: 照明 (shōmei), (archaic) 灯火 (tomoshibi), ランプ (ranpu), 電灯 (dentō, specifically electric light), 電気 (denki, specifically electric light)

   明(あ)かりを点(つ)ける。

   Akari o tsukeru.

   Turn on the light.

3. [from 1603] a bright place; (figurative) a public place
4. [from 1701] a positive sign amidst adversity (compare English light at the end of the tunnel)
5. [from 1780] (figurative) evidence that dispels a question or doubt

   Synonym: 証し (akashi)

6. [from 1566] (figurative) the end of a period of time or a dark mood (compare English dawn, daybreak)

   Synonym: 明け (ake, literally “dawn”)

Related terms

• 明(あか)るい (akarui, “bright”)
• 明(あ)ける (akeru, “to dawn”)
• 明(あ)け (ake, “dawn, daybreak”)
• 明(あき)らか (akiraka, “obvious, clear”)