noun, used as a suffix
Dated suffix attached to nouns indicating a type of worker or person engaged in a particular occupation. Often seen in older occupational terms.
「沖仲仕」は、かつて港で働く沖仲仕夫を指した言葉だ。
The word 沖仲仕 used to refer to a dockworker (沖仲仕夫).
古い小説には「炭鉱夫」という表現がよく出てくる。
In old novels, the term 炭鉱夫 (coal miner) often appears.
者 is a formal suffix for a person engaged in an activity (e.g., 研究者), whereas 夫 is an older, more colloquial suffix for laborers.
The kanji 夫 originally meant 'man' or 'husband'. As a suffix, it developed from its use in compounds referring to male laborers, but the exact historical derivation is uncertain.