叔母

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 叔母, read おば, is an aunt, including a parent's sister or an uncle's wife.
• Basic usage: 母の妹である叔母 identifies a maternal aunt; the second context identifies the wife of the father's younger brother.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Different family relations under 叔母
  • Japanese uses one noun for both relationships, while other languages may distinguish them more specifically.