child of the legal wife
Archaic term used in historical contexts to distinguish a child born to the legal wife from one born to a concubine. Not used in modern Japanese.
In the Edo period, a child of the legal wife was treated as the legitimate heir.
庶子 refers to a child born out of wedlock or to a concubine, the opposite of 向かい腹.
嫡子 is a more general term for a legitimate child, not specifically contrasting with concubine-born children.
Most common kanji spelling for this archaic term.
Alternate kanji spelling, less common.
Alternate kanji spelling emphasizing legitimate birth.
Compound of 向かい (mukai, 'facing, opposite') and 腹 (hara, 'belly, womb'), literally 'the opposite womb', referring to the legal wife as opposed to a concubine. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.