current master; father of one's current master
Honorific term used in traditional hierarchical contexts (e.g., samurai households) to refer to the current head of the family or the previous head (father of the current master). Compare with 若殿 (わかとの) for the young master.
See also: 若殿 (わかとの)
The master is calling for you.
The previous master (father of the current master) has retired.
Honorific term for a high-ranking government minister or noble. Often used in historical or formal contexts.
The noble/minister has attended the imperial court.
nobleman's residence
Archaic honorific term for the residence of a nobleman. Rarely used in modern Japanese outside historical texts.
Many retainers gathered in front of the nobleman's residence.
Compound of 大 (おお, 'great') and 殿 (との, 'lord, master'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since the Heian period to refer to high-ranking nobles and their residences.