old term for laborer or menial servant
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
laborer; corvée laborer (in old times)
archaicRefers to people forced to do heavy manual labor or corvée work in pre-modern society. Also written as 伕役.
The life of corvée laborers in the old society was extremely miserable.
He was forced to work as a laborer for three years, building river embankments.
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These laborers were all conscripted from nearby villages.
noun
hired menial servant; odd-job man (in old times)
archaicRefers to hired hands who performed miscellaneous chores in households, yamens, or establishments. Less forced than corvée laborers, but still low social status. Also written as 伕役.
The master's household hired several menial servants to take care of cleaning and running errands.
He worked as a menial servant in the yamen, earning two taels of silver per month.
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These servants got up before dawn to carry water and light fires.