English

Noun

netherman ‎(plural nethermen)

1. An inhabitant of a lowland region; lowlander.
   • 1866, George Hamilton, An appeal for the horse:

     [...] and it is as difficult to persuade such persons that there is dawning on us a better system, as it is to convince an ancient highlander that there is a garment for the netherman which possesses advantages over the national kilt.

2. An inferior man or inferior status of mankind, as opposed to superman.
   • 1915, Alfred Richard Orage, Arthur Moore, The New age: a weekly review of politics, literature and art:

     Perhaps the Socialism Nietzsche had in mind would have degraded the race, as surely as Christianity was already threatening to change man into Netherman.

   • 1986, Ray Bremser, Poems of madness:

     Too much the redest bloody Cadillacs caught cryptic on the air, luring another netherman with California Rugelo and too much the rigid enterprising caterwauling!

   • 2001, Sarah Pierzchala, Rain On A Dark Mirror:

     “I've told you,” a man's voice was insisting, “You've been given it all— every strip.” The portable lamps, clipped to the overhead beams, revealed three figures. The two shabby nethermen moved like clumsy predators; [...]

   • 2011, Bradford Morrow, Trinity Fields:

     [...] the Roman Empire, the Goths, Genghis Khan, epics of discord, governments lusting to rule the world, nethermen long gone to their graves—[...]

3. An underling; subordinate.
   • 1975, Ralph Bernard Pugh, Elizabeth Crittall, D. A. Crowley, A History of Wiltshire:

     [...] while customary rents of tenants called 'nethermen' and 'overmen' were worth respectively [...]