widow and widower; lonely people
A classical Chinese-derived term for a widower (鰥) and a widow (寡), often used together to evoke the image of solitary, bereaved individuals. In modern Japanese it is a rare literary word, mostly found in old texts or elevated prose.
In classical texts, the four-character phrase 鰥寡孤独 is sometimes used to refer to people without family or support.
lonely and helpless; without anyone to rely on
From Chinese 鰥寡 (guānguǎ), combining 鰥 'widower' and 寡 'widow'. The Japanese reading かんか is the on'yomi of the characters. The term is largely confined to classical or literary contexts.