房子後半邊的人
這一支就是核心畫面裡的人本身，也是這個字比較老的一半。
noun · C1
A person who does menial work, especially a servant in a house. The word places that person low, so it hurts when it is used about someone real.
僕役、下人
核心畫面
One way to hold this word: a big old house with two sets of rooms. The family sit in the front; behind the door, people sweep, fetch coal, carry trays up the back so they are not seen. Menial points at that back half of the house. Sometimes it points at the people there, sometimes at the work they do — and either way it keeps the old judgement that this half matters less.
可以想成一棟老房子分成兩半。主人家坐在前廳；門後面有人在掃地、搬煤、端著托盤走後樓梯，好讓人看不見。menial 指…更多收起
可以想成一棟老房子分成兩半。主人家坐在前廳；門後面有人在掃地、搬煤、端著托盤走後樓梯，好讓人看不見。menial 指的就是房子的後半邊。有時候指那裡的人，有時候指他們做的事。不管指哪一種，它都帶著那個舊判斷：後半邊比較不重要。所以這個字不只是在說「簡單」，也在說「沒人看重」。From the word’s history
From Middle English meyneal and Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee, a household, and behind that Latin mansio, a house.
從中古英文 meyneal、盎格魯諾曼語 mesnal 來，底下是 maisnee（家戶），最早接到拉丁文 mansio（房子）。所以「這戶人家的人」是這個字的出發點，後來才擴到他們做的那種活。
Wiktionary entries 'menial' (adj and noun) in the supplied packet, source_refs kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:820834490 and :820845692: 'From Middle English meyneal, from Anglo-Norman mesnal, from maisnee (household), from Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta, from Latin mānsiō (house).'
Two branches
他們做的那種活
從人推到事：把「下人」的位置換成「下人做的工作」，連帶把那份評價也一起搬過去。
adjective · C1
Menial work is the kind once left to household servants: simple repeated jobs such as cleaning, carrying and washing up, which need no training and bring little respect.
低下的、打雜的