also: なおびと
noun
ordinary person; commoner; untitled individual
Refers to a person without rank, title, or special status; a plain, everyday person. Often used in historical or literary contexts to contrast with nobility or officials.
彼は徒人として生まれ、一生を終えた。
He was born an ordinary person and lived his whole life as one.
この時代、徒人が
In this era, it was difficult for a commoner to obtain a government post.
Alternate kanji spelling; also read なおびと (obsolete).
Obsolete reading; it is out-dated kana usage.
Alternate kanji spelling.
Compound of 徒 (ただ, 'ordinary, mere') + 人 (ひと, 'person'), with rendaku voicing to びと. The kanji 徒 carries the sense of 'just, only, empty' and is used in words like 徒歩 (とほ, 'walking') and 徒に (いたずらに, 'in vain'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is attested in classical Japanese.