also: ひじん · とひと
noun
countryfolk; villager; provincial
Archaic term for a person from the countryside, often with a nuance of rusticity. Cross-referenced with 田舎者.
See also: 田舎者
鄙人は都の暮らしに憧れていた。
The countryfolk longed for life in the capital.
noun
greedy person; low-standing person; underclass
Only with reading ひじん
Archaic derogatory term for a person of low status or greedy character. Restricted to the reading ひじん.
古文書には、卑人を戒める記述が見られる。
In old documents, there are descriptions admonishing the greedy and lowly.
Modern, neutral-to-slightly-derogatory term for a country bumpkin, whereas 鄙人 is archaic and literary.
The kanji 鄙 means 'rustic' or 'remote', and 人 means 'person'. The reading ひなびと is a compound of 鄙 (ひな) and 人 (びと). The alternate reading ひじん uses the on'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.