Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
Historical forms are not available yet. The current form is shown as a reference.
The character 灯 evolved from ancient forms representing a fire or lamp. In Liushutong, the character shows a vessel (豆) containing fire (火), depicting an oil lamp or fire holder. Over time, it simplified to the modern form 灯, combining 火 (fire) with 丁 (nail/simple), representing a simple fire source. The character means 'lamp', 'light', or 'lantern' and has been used in compounds like 灯光 (lighting) and 灯台 (lighthouse). Arrived in Japan: The character 灯 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange. It became established in Japanese as part of the kanji repertoire, used in words like 灯り (akari - light) and 電灯 (dentō - electric light).