ancestor

(NEcrophilia) + (Abe Lincoln's Hat) Same-ON
★☆☆☆☆
9 strokes
The Jukugo for this are AMAZING: two words, Spoonerized!!

Onyomi

SO

Mnemonic

I do necrophilia with Abe Lincoln because he's my favorite ancestor.

Jukugo

先祖(せんぞ)

one's family ancestors ★★☆☆☆
(earlier/ the tip) + (ancestor) = 先祖 (one's family ancestors)

one's own personal ancestors. Ancestor worship.

祖先(そせん)

far-away ancestor ☆☆☆☆☆
(ancestor) + (earlier/ the tip) = 祖先 (far-away ancestor)

includes the meaning of 先祖, but it's more broad. 祖先 can also refer to ancestors dating back to monkeys, fish, germs, etc. "The two words/phyla of fish/languages share a common ancestor."

Lookalikes

Meaning Hint Radical
one's team STRING
ancestor NECROPHILIA
partner TREE
rough texture / bad quality RICE
hamper TOWN

Team spirit is the STRING that binds us into a unit.

We do NECROPHILIA with our ancestors.

The TREE is our partner in the oxygen/co2 cycle.

My RICE is bad quality so everyone in TOWN hampered me from selling it!

Synonyms

ancestor
先祖    祖先