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家来 (けらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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、
多おお
く
の
家け
来らい
が
主しゅ
君くん
の
ため
に
命いのち
を
かけ
た
。
In the Warring States period, many retainers risked their lives for their lord.
Related words· 7 家臣 is a more formal, collective term for a vassal, while 家来 emphasizes a personal, direct service relationship to a lord.
従者 is a general word for an attendant or follower without class implications, whereas 家来 specifically denotes a feudal retainer of the samurai era.
部下 is the modern, everyday word for a subordinate at work, while 家来 is historical and tied to feudal lord-vassal ties.
Show 3 more 家来 specifically means a feudal retainer serving a lord, whereas 臣 is a broader archaic term that can also mean slave or captive.
家来 specifically refers to a feudal retainer or vassal serving a lord, while しもべ is a broader, more literary term for any servant.
家来 is a feudal-era retainer serving a lord, whereas 子分 is a more modern, informal term for a gang follower.
Opposites 主君 is the lord a 家来 serves, making the two words opposite roles in a feudal relationship.
家来 is a vassal or retainer who serves, standing in direct contrast to the 殿様, the lord who is served.
Counted with The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).
Written forms 家け 来らい Usage 97%
Standard kanji form; high priority in news and frequency lists.
けらい Usage 3%
家け 礼らい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
家け 頼らい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
Etymology Compound of 家 (house/family) and 来 (come), originally referring to someone who comes to serve a household. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since the feudal era to denote a lord's personal retainer.
やっこ
N1
家来 is a more general historical term for a retainer or vassal, while 奴 (sense 'servant') specifically evokes a samurai's low-ranking attendant in the Edo period.