lesser (of equal court ranks); lower; junior
Archaic term used in the context of the Japanese court rank system to indicate a lower or junior position among equal ranks. Compare with 正 (しょう), which indicates the senior or higher position. Modern use is limited to historical or specialized contexts.
See also: 正 (しょう)
The Junior Third Rank is a lower rank than the Senior Third Rank.
In historical documents, '従' is often prefixed to court ranks.
up to now; so far; hitherto · traditional; conventional; existing
engage in; be involved in; pursue
obedient; submissive; docile; meek
military service; serving in a war; taking part in a campaign
attendant; follower; servant
subordination; dependency
older male cousin
previous; former; prior
younger male cousin
younger female cousin
cousin (older female)
according to usage; pay-as-you-go; metered
manservant; valet; male attendant
outward obedience, inward betrayal
samurai attendant; retainer · thane; thegn
orderly; batman; officer's servant
secondary cause
dependency; appanage
slave station
subordinate clause
accessory; appurtenance
accomplice; complicity
subordinate; secondary
subordinate clause; dependent clause · follower (machine part)
The character 従 originally means 'to follow' or 'subordinate'. In the context of court ranks, it was adopted to denote a junior or lesser rank, contrasting with 正 (correct/proper) for the senior rank. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the usage is well-established in classical Japanese.