私し年ねん号ごう

noun

unofficial era name; private era name

Historical term for era names created and used by commoners or local regions, not by the imperial court. Often contrasted with official era names (元号).

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいには、朝ちょう廷ていが定さだめた元げん号ごうとは別べつに、民みん間かんで私し年ねん号ごうが使つかわれることがあった。

  In the Edo period, private era names were sometimes used among commoners separately from the official era names set by the imperial court.

• この古こ文もん書じょには見み慣なれない私し年ねん号ごうが記しるされている。

  This old document records an unfamiliar unofficial era name.