minor official; low-ranking scribe
Historical term referring to a petty official or clerk who handled writing and records, often with a connotation of low status. Not used in modern administrative contexts.
In his youth, he worked as a minor scribe at a local government office.
Modern term for a clerk or secretary; lacks the historical and pejorative nuance of 刀筆の吏.
From Classical Chinese 刀筆之吏. 刀筆 refers to the knife used to erase writing from wooden or bamboo slips and the brush used to write on them, hence a low-ranking clerk or scribe.