also: せいてき
legal wife; legitimate child; main family line
Historical term referring to the primary wife, her offspring, or the legitimate lineage in a family or clan. Rare in modern everyday language; mostly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
As the child of the legal wife, he was destined to inherit the family headship.
In historical records, the distinction between the legal wife and concubines is clearly noted.
Standard kanji spelling for the primary reading.
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered archaic or specialized.
Compound of 正 (correct, legitimate) and 嫡 (legitimate wife/child). The reading せいちゃく is the standard on'yomi combination; せいてき is an alternate on'yomi reading for 嫡.