also: じちょう · してい · つかえのよほろ
noun
forced laborer (ritsuryō system)
Historical term for men conscripted for compulsory labor under the ritsuryō legal codes. Archaic; used only in historical contexts.
律令制下では、仕丁として都に上る農民がいた。
Under the ritsuryō system, some farmers went to the capital as forced laborers.
noun
Only with reading しちょう / じちょう / してい
Archaic term for a person who carried palanquins during the Edo period. Restricted to readings しちょう, じちょう, and してい.
江戸時代、仕丁は駕籠を担いで町を歩いた。
During the Edo period, palanquin bearers walked through town carrying palanquins.
Rare reading; may appear in older texts.
Archaic reading; historical usage.
The term derives from the ritsuryō system, where 仕 (service) and 丁 (adult male) referred to men assigned to labor duties. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.