noun
Rare historical term for a personal servant or attendant, especially one who serves close to a master. Often associated with samurai or aristocratic households.
時代劇では、お側付きの侍が殿様の身の回りの世話をしている。
In period dramas, a servant samurai takes care of the lord's personal needs.
側付き (without the honorific お) is a more neutral term for an attendant or personal servant, while お側付き carries a more polite or historical nuance.
従者 is a general term for a follower or attendant, not necessarily a close personal servant, and is more common in modern contexts.
Compound of honorific prefix お + 側 (そば, 'side, vicinity') + 付き (つき, from 付く, 'attached'). Literally 'one attached to the side', referring to a close personal attendant.