郎ろう党どう

also: ろうとう

ろ

う

ど

う

Meanings

vassals; retainers; followers

Historical term for the warriors or servants who followed and served a samurai lord. Often used in contexts describing feudal Japan.

戦せん国ごく時じ代だい、大だい名みょうは多おおくの郎ろう党どうを抱かかえていた。
During the Warring States period, feudal lords had many retainers.
彼かれは主しゅ君くんのために命いのちをかけた忠ちゅう実じつな郎ろう党どうだった。
He was a loyal vassal who risked his life for his lord.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Kanji

郎son, counter for sons
党party, faction, clique
等etc., and so forth, class (first)

Related words

家け来らい
家来 is a more general term for a retainer or servant of a samurai, while 郎党 specifically emphasizes the group of followers or vassals as a collective, often with a nuance of close, personal allegiance.
家か臣しん
家臣 is a broader term for a vassal or retainer in a feudal household, not necessarily implying the same close, personal following as 郎党.

Word family

家いえの子こ郎ろう党どう
followers; retainers; adherents

Written forms

郎党Usage85%
- ろうどう
  Standard kanji form. 党 is the more common character for this word.
- ろうとう
  Alternate reading ろうとう; rarely used in modern Japanese.
郎等Usage15%
- ろうどう
  Variant kanji form using 等; less common than 郎党.
- ろうとう
  Alternate reading ろうとう with variant kanji; very rare.
ろうとう

Etymology

The term 郎党 (ろうどう) originates from the Heian period, combining 郎 (a young man or servant) and 党 (group or faction). It referred to the personal followers or vassals of a noble or warrior. The alternate reading ろうとう is less common and may reflect older or dialectal pronunciation.