granduncle; great-uncle
Refers to a grandparent's brother. In Japanese, the distinction between older/younger brother of the grandparent is often not specified, but 大叔父 (with 叔) can imply a younger brother, while 大伯父 (with 伯) can imply an older brother. In practice, 大叔父 is the most common spelling.
私の大叔父は戦争で亡くなった。
My granduncle died in the war.
大叔父の家は田舎にある。
My granduncle's house is in the countryside.
Standard kanji spelling for a grandparent's brother, using 大 (great) + 叔父 (uncle).
Variant spelling using 伯父 (uncle older than parent) instead of 叔父 (uncle younger than parent). Both are used, but 大叔父 is more common.
Rare spelling using 従祖父, which can also be read いとこおじ (cousin-uncle). This form is easily confused and not recommended for learners.
Compound of 大 (おお, 'great') + 叔父 (おじ, 'uncle'), literally 'great uncle'. The reading おおおじ is a straightforward combination of these elements.