奴ぬ僕ぼく

also: どぼく

ぬ

ぼ

く

Meanings

archaic

Archaic term for a male servant or footman, used in historical or literary contexts. Not used in modern Japanese outside of period pieces or classical references.

江え戸ど時じ代だいの武ぶ家け屋や敷しきでは、奴ぬ僕ぼくが主しゅ人じんの身みの回まわりの世せ話わをした。
In samurai residences of the Edo period, manservants attended to their master's personal needs.
古こ典てん文ぶん学がくには「奴ぬ僕ぼく」という言こと葉ばがしばしば登とう場じょうする。
The word 奴僕 often appears in classical literature.

Kanji

奴guy, slave, manservant
僕me, I (male), servant

Related words

召めし使つかい
召使い is a more general and still recognizable term for a servant, while 奴僕 is specifically archaic and refers to a male servant or footman.
下げ僕ぼく
下僕 is also an archaic term for a manservant, similar in meaning and register to 奴僕, but 奴僕 may carry a slightly more literary or historical nuance.

Written forms

奴僕Usage100%
- ぬぼく
  Archaic kanji spelling for a manservant or footman; the reading ぬぼく is standard for this form.
- どぼく
  Alternate reading どぼく is rare and archaic; ぬぼく is the more common reading for this kanji form.
どぼく

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 奴 (servant, slave) and 僕 (manservant, I) combine to form a compound meaning a male servant or footman, used historically.