also: こはな
noun
Literary or formal term for a descendant or bloodline; often found in historical or poetic contexts. In modern Japanese, 子孫 (しそん) is more common.
彼は名門の裔として生まれた。
He was born as a scion of a distinguished family.
この村には古代の王の裔が住んでいると言われている。
It is said that descendants of an ancient king live in this village.
The kanji 裔 originally referred to the hem of a garment, later extended metaphorically to mean 'descendant' or 'offshoot'. The reading えい is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi; こはな is a rare native reading.