also: せいぞう
noun
years; passage of time
Formal or literary term for the passing of many years, often with a sense of accumulated change or hardship. Not used in casual conversation.
星霜を重ねた町並みが、今も静かに残っている。
The townscape, having seen many years pass, still quietly remains.
星霜幾変、彼の志は変わらなかった。
Through the changing years, his resolve never wavered.
Obsolete reading; it is out-dated kana usage.
Compound of 星 (star) and 霜 (frost), metaphorically representing the cycle of seasons and the passage of time. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the imagery is classical.