古こ老ろう

こ

ろ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

elderly person with deep knowledge of the past; elder

Refers to an old person who is valued for their knowledge of history, traditions, or events from long ago. More specific than a generic 'elderly person'.

村むらの古こ老ろうから昔むかしの話はなしを聞きいた。
I heard old stories from an elder of the village.
この地ち域いきの伝でん統とうは、古こ老ろうたちによって守まもられてきた。
The traditions of this region have been preserved by the elders.

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Kanji

古old
老old man, old age, grow old
故happenstance, especially, intentionally

Related words

長ちょう老ろう
古老 emphasizes an elderly person who is a repository of traditional knowledge, while 長老 emphasizes a leadership or advisory role in a group.
元げん老ろう
古老 refers to an old person valued for traditional knowledge or local lore, whereas 元老 stresses formal status as a senior authority in a field or organization.

Written forms

古こ老ろうUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
故こ老ろうUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners will almost always encounter 古老.

Etymology

Composed of 古 (old, ancient) and 老 (old age, elderly). The combination straightforwardly means 'old person of ancient times' or 'elder with knowledge of the past'.