捕ほ吏り

ほ

り

Meanings

archaic

Archaic term for a low-ranking official who arrested criminals, similar to a constable or policeman in pre-modern Japan. Not used in contemporary language.

江え戸ど時じ代だいの捕ほ吏りは、現げん代だいの警けい察さつ官かんとは役やく割わりが異ことなっていた。
The constables of the Edo period had a different role from modern police officers.

Kanji

捕catch, capture
吏officer, an official

Related words

警けい察さつ官かんN5
警察官 is the standard modern term for a police officer, while 捕吏 is an archaic word for the same role used only in historical or literary contexts.
岡おかっ引ぴき
岡っ引き refers to a lower, semi-official Edo-period informant-detective, whereas 捕吏 denotes the more formally recognized arresting official of pre-modern times.

Don't confuse with

捕とり手て
捕り手 and 捕吏 both mean an archaic arresting officer, but 捕り手 is the more common word in historical fiction while 捕吏 is a rarer, more literary/formal term.

Etymology

Composed of 捕 (capture, arrest) and 吏 (official, minor government officer). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term was used in pre-modern Japan for low-ranking law enforcement personnel.