走馬灯

See also: 走馬燈 and 走马灯

Japanese

FWOTD – 1 August 2021

Kanji in this term
走	馬	灯
そう Grade: 2	ま Grade: 2	とう Grade: 4
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
走馬燈 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Chinese 走馬燈 / 走马灯 (zǒumǎdēng, literally “running horse lantern”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) そーまとー [sòómátóó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [so̞ːma̠to̞ː]

Noun

走(そう)馬(ま)灯(とう) • (sōmatō) 

1. lantern adorned with paper horses which revolve in a circle
2. Used in metaphor for various images flashing before one's eyes.
   • 2016, 永田(ながた)カビ (Nagata Kabi) [Kabi Nagata], さびしすぎてレズ風俗(ふうぞく)に行(い)きましたレポ (Sabishisugite rezu fūzoku ni ikimashita repo) [My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness]:

     レビュー
     今(いま)まで一番(いちばん)気持(きも)ち良(よ)くなれました♡
     走馬灯(そうまとう)のように
     足(あし)がびくびくなるしやばかった　あんな気持(きも)ち良(い)いとは思(おも)ってなかった

     rebyū
     ima made ichiban kimochi yoku naremashita♡
     sōmatō no yō ni
     ashi ga bikubiku naru shi yabakatta anna kimochi ii to wa omottenakatta

     Review
     The best I've ever felt ♡
     Like a running horse lantern
     My legs were twitching and it was incredible; I didn't think it would feel so good

   • 2020, “ゲーム実況(じっきょう)してる女(おんな)の子(こ) (Gēmu jikkyō shiteru onnanoko) [The Girl Streaming Let's Plays]”, in の子(こ) (Noko) (lyrics), 児童(じどう)カルテ (Jidō karute), performed by 神聖(しんせい)かまってちゃん (Shinsei kamattechan) [Shinsei Kamattechan]:

     それはまるで死(し)ぬ前(まえ)の走馬灯(そうまとう)

     sore wa maru de shinu mae no sōmatō

     Almost like a running horse lantern on your death bed

Synonyms

• 回(まわ)り灯籠(とうろう) (mawaritōrō)