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徒人 (ずにん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

徒ず人にん

Meanings

1

noun

prisoner (ritsuryō system)

archaichistorical term

Archaic historical term for a prisoner sentenced to one to three years under the ritsuryō legal codes. Not used in modern Japanese.

See also: 徒 (ず)

律りつ令りょう制せいでは、徒ず人にんは一いち年ねんから三さん年ねんの刑けいに服ふくした。
Under the ritsuryō system, a 徒人 served a sentence of one to three years.

Kanji

徒on foot, junior, emptiness
人person

Similar words

徒ず
The base form 徒 (ず) is a broader historical term for penal labor or imprisonment; 徒人 specifies the person serving that sentence.

Etymology

Compound of 徒 (ず, 'penal servitude') and 人 (にん, 'person'). The exact derivation is uncertain, but the term is firmly associated with the ritsuryō legal system.