secondary retainer
Historical term from the Edo period: a retainer who served a direct retainer (家来) of a feudal lord, rather than serving the lord directly. Rare in modern usage outside historical contexts.
A secondary retainer was a lower-ranking samurai who served a direct retainer of a feudal lord.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, sometimes used for readability.
Compound of 又 (mata, 'again; secondary') and 家来 (kerai, 'retainer'), literally 'secondary retainer'.