私し年ねん号ごう

noun

unofficial era name; private era name

Historical term for era names created and used by commoners or local regions, not by the imperial court. Often contrasted with official era names (元号).

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいには、朝ちょう廷ていが定さだめた元げん号ごうとは別べつに、民みん間かんで私し年ねん号ごうが使つかわれることがあった。

  In the Edo period, private era names were sometimes used among commoners separately from the official era names set by the imperial court.