also: ぶみん
noun
hereditary occupational group member (Yamato period)
Historical term referring to people belonging to a hereditary occupation group (部) in the Yamato period. Rare in modern usage; encountered mainly in historical texts.
See also: 部
部民は、大和時代に特定の職業を世襲した人々を指す。
Bemin refers to people who inherited specific occupations during the Yamato period.
部 is the hereditary occupational group itself; 部民 refers to the people belonging to such a group.
Compound of 部 (be, 'hereditary occupational group') and 民 (min, 'people'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is specific to the Yamato period.