36735
I saw it used recently but don't remember the line. It was being used toward a
group of subordinates, as 小奴ら. I can't find the word in any dictionary or
being explained online. What is the meaning and reading of 小奴?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-17T16:31:04.043
36731
2016-07-17T23:51:22.027
2016-07-17T23:51:22.027
4187
4187
question
meaning
What is the meaning and reading of 小奴?
I think that is こやつら (koyatsura), which I would translate as something like
"These f****** bastards".

奴 is a derogatory way to say "he/she". Something like "This man".

Putting the 小 before 奴 makes it worse, and shows more anger and disrespect for
the subject.

ら is just to make it plural.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-17T17:49:51.030
36732
2016-07-17T17:55:20.113
2016-07-17T17:55:20.113
16152
16152
36731
answer
こやつ is usually written in hiragana. But in kanji, it's **此奴** , not 子奴 nor 小奴.
You can find this word [in
jisho.org](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%AD%A4%E5%A5%B4),
[デジタル大辞泉](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/82436/meaning/m0u/),
[Wiktionary](https://ja.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%93%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4), and
any other decent dictionary.

こやつ is a dated word used in place of こいつ. It often has a derogatory or
accusatory nuance. Today, we mainly see こやつ in samurai dramas, historical
novels and such. If you heard this used referring to someone's subordinates,
probably it was for showing his humbleness to someone else (ie, introducing
A's subordinates to A's boss).

By the way, according to [this
page](http://cjjc.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%8F%E5%A5%B4), 小奴（こやっこ）seems to
refer to "infant" or a certain type of servant in the Edo period. It's a very
rare word, and I'm not familiar with this.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-17T20:57:59.770
36735
2016-07-17T22:34:58.773
2016-07-17T22:34:58.773
5010
5010
36731
answer