years; period of years
Refers to a span of years or a period of time, often in formal or literary contexts. Not used for a single calendar year.
The tradition has been passed down over many years.
Obsolete term for a person's age. Modern Japanese uses 年齢 or 歳.
The old document recorded the person's age.
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
Variant kanji spelling; 年紀 is much more common.
The word is composed of 年 (year) and 紀 (chronicle, era), suggesting a long span of years. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.