also: ばつえい
Refers to a person who is descended from a particular ancestor, family, or lineage. Often used in historical or genealogical contexts.
He is said to be a descendant of a famous warlord.
Descendants of former nobility still live in this village.
He is said to be a descendant of a certain warlord.
That family claims to be descendants of the Minamoto clan.
祖先 means ancestor, the opposite end of a lineage from 末裔, which means descendant.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading まつえい is the most common.
Alternate reading ばつえい is less common and may be encountered in older or formal texts.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling sometimes used when the second kanji is considered difficult or uncommon.
A Sino-Japanese compound of 末, “end” or “later generation,” and 裔, “descendants,” collectively denoting descendants or posterity.