illegitimate child (of a nobleman)
Refers to a child born out of wedlock, typically to a nobleman or samurai. Often used in historical or literary contexts.
He was born as an illegitimate child and struggled from a young age.
In period dramas, there are often stories of illegitimate children getting caught up in succession disputes.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant with simplified okurigana.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling with simplified okurigana.
Compound of 落とし (otoshi, 'dropped, fallen') + 胤 (tane, 'seed, offspring'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely originated in the Edo period to describe children of noblemen born to mistresses.