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氏上うじのかみ

Meanings

1

head of a clan

archaic

Archaic term for the chief of an extended family group (uji) in ancient Japan, especially before the Taika Reform.

古こ代だいの氏上うじのかみは、一いち族ぞくの祭さい祀しと統とう率そつを担になった。
In ancient times, the uji no kami was responsible for the clan's rituals and leadership.

Kanji

氏family name, surname, clan
上above, up
長long, leader, superior
宗religion, sect, denomination

Related words

氏うじ
氏 refers to the clan itself, while 氏上 is the head of that clan.
氏長者うじのちょうじゃ
氏長者 is a later term for the head of a clan, often used in the Heian period and beyond, while 氏上 is more archaic.

Built from

氏うじ+上かみ

Written forms

氏上うじのかみUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic title.
氏うじの上かみ
Variant spelling with の inserted, reflecting the reading.
氏長うじのかみ
Rare variant; 長 suggests 'chief'.
氏宗うじのかみ
Rare variant; 宗 suggests 'head of a family'.

Etymology

Compound of 氏 (uji, 'clan') + 上 (kami, 'head, chief'), with the reading うじのかみ reflecting the possessive particle の.