先祖

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 先祖, read せんぞ, is a noun for an ancestor or one's ancestors from earlier generations.
• Basic usage: 先祖の墓 links ancestors to their graves; 自分の先祖の暮らし links oneself to ancestors and then ancestors to their lives.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Earlier generations in a lineage
  • 先祖 refers to ancestors in earlier generations of one's lineage. It does not simply mean an older relative and can extend to discussion of how those ancestors lived.