Same difference?

[karu_chan]

For the Japanese speaking people on my f-list...

Just where is the difference between 先祖 and 祖先?
Both words mean "ancesteror(s)" and the kanji are just vice versa. Why???

Comments

[gensou_alice]

先祖 (senzo) pretty much refers to YOUR anscestors.
祖先 (sosen) refers to anscestors that may or may NOT be yours :)

[karu_chan]

A while after I posted this, I thought it might be something like this, but now I know!
Thank you ^___________^

[mit_souko]

That is quite interesting. I had not seen it before.

[karu_chan]

*nods*
I was studying with readthekanji and those two words showed up not too long after one another. Else I'm sure that I would have already forgotten the first, when the second word came around _._