Uncle

Japanese: おじ

...Nephews and nieces are a type of collateral relative, and in the past, families that included them as members were common in areas where branching was prominent, but their number has decreased significantly with the trend toward nuclear families. Even today, however, nephews and nieces play an important role in social life, although not as legal relations in which property is inherited. In particular, the relationship between nephews and nieces and uncles and aunts in rites of passage is noteworthy. In marriage ceremonies, uncles and aunts act as matchmakers for nephews and nieces, while nephews and nieces mainly play the role of coffin bearers when their uncles and aunts die. ...

From [Uncle/Aunt (Uncle/Aunt)]

…Uncle and aunt are generally kinship terms that refer to the brothers and sisters of parents, and people called uncle and aunt play various important roles for their nephews and nieces, but sometimes the meaning of uncle and aunt is expanded or changed in connection with the family system. The most important role of uncle and aunt is to act as guardians during the transition from the old ceremonial stage to the new stage during rites of passage such as childbirth, child-rearing, coming of age, and marriage. …

*Some of the terminology that mentions "oji" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…おい･めいは傍系親族の一種であり，かつてはこれを家族成員として含む家族も分家が顕著に行われた地域で多く見られたが，現在は核家族化の進行にともなって著しく減少した。しかし今日でもおい･めいは財産相続が行われる法的関係としてではないが，社会生活において重要な役割を占めており，なかでも通過儀礼におけるおい･めいとおじ･おばの関係が注目される。婚姻儀礼においてはおじ･おばがおい･めいの仲人的役割を果たすのに対して，おい･めいはおじ･おばの死にあたって主として棺かつぎの役割を果たす。…

【おじ･おば(伯父･伯母∥叔父･叔母)】より

…一般におじ･おばは父母の兄弟姉妹を指示する親族名称であり，おじ･おばとよばれる人々はおい･めい(甥･姪)に対してさまざまな重要な役割を果たしているが，これとは別に家族制度との関連でおじ･おばが意味拡大もしくは変化させて用いられる場合もある。おじ･おばの最も重要な役割は出産，産育，成人，婚姻など通過儀礼の諸段階において，古い儀礼段階から新しい段階への移行にあたっての保護者的役割である。…

※「おじ」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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