salaryman

Calque of Japanese サラリーマン (sararīman), from English salary +‎ man, possibly from the phrase salaried man.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæl.əɹ.i.mæn/
• Rhymes: -æn

salaryman (plural salarymen)

1. An employee, a worker; now especially a Japanese white-collar worker who works long hours yet has an insignificant position within the corporate hierarchy.
   • 2000, Harry Harootunian, Overcome by Modernity, page 205:

     In this way, the salaryman was both a progressive social stratum and an intellectual class.

   • 2017 May 30, NTT Solmare, Moe! Ninja Girls, Season 6 Chapter 2, iOS and Android

     ― Yamabuki: “Okay... *Sigh*... I thought l'd get to go home and sleep after taking the Principal back...but here I am, still at it, like an overworked salaryman!”
     ― John: “What? Salaryman?”

• office lady

• freeter
• karoshi

Borrowed from English salaryman, borrowed from Japanese サラリーマン (sararīman, from English salary +‎ -man), possibly from the phrase salaried man.

• IPA^(key): /sa.la.ʁi.man/; /sa.lɛ.ʁi.man/ ~ /sa.le.ʁi.man/

salaryman m (plural salarymen or salarymans)

1. salaryman
   • 2005, David, “Sunset”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[1], Japan:

     Les salarymans qui ont eu la chance de finir la journée de travail avant…

     The salarymen who had the chance to finish the day's work before…