Archaic term for the eldest son, especially in a family or clan context.
See also: 長男
In old texts, 兄 can refer to the eldest son.
Archaic term for an older sibling, not gender-specific.
older person
Archaic term for an elder or senior person, not necessarily a relative.
head of a clan; head of a region
Only when written 氏上
Archaic term for a leader of a clan or region; often written as 氏上.
See also: 氏上
skilled craftsman
Archaic term for a master artisan or skilled worker.
このかみ meant older brother or older sister in old Japanese.
The older person in the village was respected by the young people.
氏上 is a term for the head of an ancient clan.
That sword was forged by a renowned skilled craftsman.
solicitude befitting an older brother or elder
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic term.
Alternate kanji spelling, likely used historically.
Specific spelling for the clan/region head sense.
The historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling 兄 is conventionally associated with elder sibling meanings.