low-rank person; menial
Historical term for a person of low social status, often a servant or menial worker in pre-modern Japan. Not used in modern everyday contexts.
江戸時代、下人たちは厳しい労働に従事した。
In the Edo period, low-rank people were engaged in harsh labor.
Compound of 下 (ge, 'low') and 人 (nin, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since classical times to denote people of low rank.