年ねん季き奉ぼう公こう人にん

noun

indentured servant; articled apprentice

Historical term for a person bound by a fixed-term service contract, common in the Edo period. Refers to both domestic servants and apprentices learning a trade.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいには、年ねん季き奉公人ぼうこうにんが商しょう家かで働はたらきながら商しょう売ばいを学まなんだ。

  In the Edo period, indentured servants worked at merchant houses while learning the trade.

• 彼かれの曾そう祖そ父ふは年ねん期き奉公人ぼうこうにんとして大だい工くの修しゅう業ぎょうを積つんだそうだ。

  I heard his great-grandfather trained as a carpenter as an articled apprentice.