also: せきじん
people of the past; ancients; previous generations
Refers to people who lived in earlier times, often with a sense of nostalgia or respect. The reading せきじん is rare and literary.
People of the past lived in harmony with nature.
This festival has been handed down from the ancients.
Standard kanji spelling for the common reading むかしびと.
Rare on'yomi reading; mostly encountered in classical or literary contexts.
Compound of 昔 (mukashi, 'old times') and 人 (hito, 'person'), with rendaku voicing. The on'yomi reading せきじん is a Sino-Japanese reading of the same characters.