Men - Men

Japanese: 郎等 - ろうどう

〘 noun 〙① (also called "rotou" in modern times) A servant. A servant who is subordinate to his master in terms of status. ※Tosa (around 935), December 26, 4th year of Shohei, "They were such strange people that they insulted the master and even chased after the retainers." ② In the samurai society of the late Heian and Kamakura periods, a servant who was not related to the master by blood. It was used to distinguish from children of the family who were related to the master by blood. A retainer. ※Koyuki - March 27, 3rd year of Eikan (985), "Saimei _left the ship _{and left} the shore, but _Fujiwara _no Suemitsu was arrested." ※Heike (before the 13th century), Vol. 8, "The messenger Taisada, who had received the imperial decree, was accompanied by two of the family's sons and ten retainers." ③ In general, a samurai's retainer. A servant. A servant. ※Masukagami (around 1368-76) 4 "I had the rōdō go in and look around." ④ The term is used in Nagano Prefecture and Kimitsu County, Chiba Prefecture to refer to the bride's attendants at weddings. ※Fuzoku Gahō - No. 113 (1896) Local Wedding Ceremony in Minamiazumi County, Shinano Province "Early in the morning, accompanied by six or seven relatives (called rōdō), she went to the bride's house." [Glossary] (1) The Chinese word rō was originally the name of an official position, but it came to mean a man or a young man. However, it does not mean a servant.
(2) In the Heian period, the meaning of the word was ①, but in the samurai society from the end of the Heian period onwards, it came to be used as ②.
(3) In the early Edo period, the distinction between kaigo and tau was lost, and as a result, "tou" (to) and "tau" (party) became homophonic, and as a result, the spelling "roto" appeared in addition to "roto" from this period onwards.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① (現代は「ろうとう」とも) 従者。身分的に主人に隷属する従僕。※土左（935頃）承平四年一二月二六日「なほかみのたちにて、あるじしののしりて、郎等までにものかづけたり」② 平安末期・鎌倉時代の武家社会で、主人と血縁関係のない従者。主人と血縁関係のある家の子とは区別していう。郎従。※小右記‐永観三年（985）三月二七日「斉明已乗_レ船離_レ岸、但捕_二郎等藤原末光_一」※平家（１３Ｃ前）八「院宣の御使泰定は、家子二人、郎等十人具したり」③ 一般に、武士の家来。従僕。召使い。※増鏡（1368‐76頃）四「らうとうどもにとかくさせて内に参りて見まはせば」④ 婚礼の時の花嫁の介添役を、長野県や千葉県君津郡でいう。※風俗画報‐一一三号（1896）信濃国南安曇郡地方婚姻式「朝まだき親戚の者六七人随伴（之をロードウと云ふ）して嫁方に行き」[語誌](1)漢語の「郎」は、元来、官職名であったが、転じて、男子・若者の意をも表わした。しかし、従者の意はない。
(2)語義は、平安時代は①の意であったが、平安時代末からの武家社会では、②のように使われた。
(3)江戸時代初期に開合の区別が失われたため、「とう（等）」と「たう（党）」がトウと同音になった結果、この時期以降「郎等」に加え「郎党」の表記も現われた。

出典　精選版日本国語大辞典精選版日本国語大辞典について　情報

<<: Labor - Labor (English spelling)

>>: Electric leakage - leak