ferryman
A person who operates a ferry, typically rowing or poling a small boat across a river or channel. This is a traditional occupation, now mostly historical or found in rural areas.
Long ago, there was a ferryman on this river who carried the villagers to the opposite bank.
The ferryman maneuvered the boat with a long pole.
Standard kanji spelling for 'ferryman'.
Irregular okurigana usage; the し is omitted. Rarely seen.
Variant spelling with okurigana り; less common but still used.
Compound of 渡し (watashi, 'ferry, crossing') + 守り (mori, 'guardian, keeper'). The spelling 渡守 is an irregular abbreviation.