The meanings of 写真{しゃしん}


I'm currently studying Japanese vocabulary following the JLPT programs. I'm
doing the JLPT 5 and I've come across the word 写真.

According to my dictionary, the meanings are:

>   1. Photograph, photo.
>   2. Movie
>

A friend of mine, Japanese native speaker, has expressed some doubts about
whether nowadays people actually use 写真 to mean _movie_. Note, I'm aware of
the word 映画{えいが}, but I wasn't that surprised of seeing an alternative word:
as we say _film, movie_ , we can have 映画, 写真, etc., but as I'm not a native
speaker, I can't say for sure what's the actual answer.

Is perhaps the _movie_ term there to refer to the "photo films"? Just a bold
guess, actually. But what is it then? References on the matter would be much
appreciated.




In the sense of a movie, 写真 is an abbreviation for 活動写真 "motion picture". Post
c. 1935, the term has all but dropped out of usage and been replaced by 映画. In
nearly all modern usage of the word, 写真 just means picture.




In the sense of a movie, 写真 is an abbreviation for 活動写真 "motion picture". Post
c. 1935, the term has all but dropped out of usage and been replaced by 映画. In
nearly all modern usage of the word, 写真 just means picture.

