servants; maids and manservants
Historical term for household servants, encompassing both female (下女) and male (下男) workers. Not used in contemporary Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.
In large merchant houses of the Edo period, many servants worked.
Specifically a male servant; 下女下男 includes both genders.
Compound of 下女 (female servant) and 下男 (male servant). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term reflects the Edo-period practice of employing both maids and manservants in wealthy households.