1.
shepherd; sheepherder
A person who tends and herds sheep. While not a common occupation in Japan, the word appears frequently in stories, fables, religious texts, and cultural references.
羊飼いが羊を連れている。
A shepherd is leading the sheep.
昔話に羊飼いの少年が出てくる。
A shepherd boy appears in the old tale.
丘の上で羊飼いが犬と一緒に群れを見守っていた。
On the hill, the shepherd was watching over the flock together with a dog.
羊飼い refers to a person who tends sheep. While shepherding is not a common occupation in modern Japan, the word appears frequently in translated literature and religious texts.
WORD FORMATION:
羊 (sheep) + 飼い (keeper, herder). The same 〜飼い pattern creates other animal-keeper words:
- 牛飼い: cowherd
- 馬飼い: horse keeper
- 豚飼い: swineherd
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Most commonly encountered in:
- Translations of the Bible and Western literature
- Aesop's fables, especially 羊飼いの少年 (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)
- Fairy tales and pastoral imagery
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 羊飼いの少年: the shepherd boy
- 羊飼いの犬: sheepdog