吏 lì official
government official; magistrate
How it came to be
The oldest form probably shows a hand holding up a flag, the mark of someone sent to act for another.
用法
- A minor government official/functionary (historical): 官吏 (guānlì) officials, 贪官污吏 (tānguān-wūlì) corrupt officials.
- Old-China register; historically 吏 were the lower clerks under the ranking 官 (officials).
- Not used for modern officials in everyday speech. It evokes the imperial bureaucracy.