apprentice; shop boy
Historical term for a young live-in apprentice in a merchant or artisan household, common in the Edo period. In modern contexts, it may be used figuratively or in historical descriptions.
See also: 弟子 (でし)
In the Edo period, shop apprentices worked from early morning until late at night.
He worked his way up from an apprentice and was finally allowed to start his own branch.
apprenticeship (historical); live-in apprenticeship
Standard kanji spelling for the historical apprentice role.
Kana spelling is common in modern writing, especially when the historical context is not emphasized.
The origin is uncertain; 丁稚 is generally treated as a phonetic spelling of the older occupational term でっち.