relatives and acquaintances
A yojijukugo referring collectively to one's relatives and close acquaintances. Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe one's social circle.
Many relatives and acquaintances gathered at the wedding.
親戚 means 'relatives' only, while 親戚知己 includes both relatives and acquaintances.
知己 means 'acquaintance' or 'close friend', but is rarely used alone in modern Japanese; it appears mainly in compounds like 親戚知己.
A yojijukugo combining 親戚 (relatives) and 知己 (acquaintances). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of pairing related terms to express a broader concept.