ascendant; direct ancestor
Legal term for a direct ancestor, such as a parent or grandparent. Often contrasted with 卑属 (descendant).
See also: 卑属
In civil law, 'sonzoku' refers to direct ancestors such as parents and grandparents.
The murder of an ascendant was once severely punished under the criminal code.
Compound of 尊 (respected, noble) and 属 (belonging, lineage). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern legal Japanese to denote direct ancestors.