also: にょけい
female line; matrilineal
Refers to lineage traced through the female side, often used in discussions of inheritance, succession, or family trees.
The family line has been passed down through the female line.
Debate continues about the possibility of a matrilineal emperor.
matrilineal emperor of Japan; emperor with imperial mother and non-imperial father
Standard kanji spelling for 'female line' or 'matrilineal'.
Alternate reading; じょけい is much more common.
Compound of 女 (woman, female) and 系 (lineage, system). The reading じょけい is the standard on'yomi combination; にょけい is a less common variant.