noun
Dated term for a baby or infant; 赤ちゃん is the modern everyday word. Still used in literary, historical, or formal contexts.
See also: 赤ちゃん
昔話では、川から流れてきた赤子を老夫婦が拾う。
In the old tale, an elderly couple finds a baby floating down the river.
赤子の手をひねるようなものだ。
It's like twisting a baby's hand (very easy).
The standard, affectionate word for a baby in modern Japanese. 赤子 is dated and more formal or literary.
Compound of 赤 (aka, 'red') and 子 (ko, 'child'), referring to the reddish skin of a newborn. The reading あかご is a rendaku form of あかこ.