遺児
Meanings
1
orphan; child left by the deceased
Refers to a child whose parent(s) have died. Often used in formal, literary, or news contexts. Not a casual everyday word; 孤児 (こじ) is more common for 'orphan' in general.
There is an organization that supports children who lost their parents in the war.
He is a child left parentless by a traffic accident.
2
Rare, somewhat literary use for a child who has been abandoned or left behind. In modern Japanese, 捨て子 (すてご) is the usual word for an abandoned child.
In old tales, stories of abandoned children being taken in by temples often appear.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉が遺児になるfor someone to become an orphan (due to a parent's death)
He lost his father in an accident and became an orphan.
- 遺児を支援するto support orphans (financially or otherwise)
This fund supports children who lost their parents in the disaster.
- 遺児を育てるto raise an orphaned child
The grandmother raised her orphaned grandchild.