walker; person going by foot
Archaic noun for a person traveling on foot, as opposed to riding a horse or vehicle. Not used in modern Japanese; replaced by 歩行者 or 徒歩の人.
Long ago, travel was harsh for those going on foot.
In old documents, there are examples where 徒人 is read as かちびと.
Archaic kanji spelling for 'walker'; the reading かちど is also recorded for this form.
Alternate archaic kanji spelling for the same meaning.
Compound of 徒 (かち, 'walking') + 人 (びと, 'person'). The reading かちど is a voiced variant. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is attested in classical texts.