General terms:
* Peasants: This term is most commonly used to describe rural lower class people who worked the land, often for landowners.
* Commoners: This term refers to people who are not of noble birth or status.
* Working class: This term is used to describe people who earn their living through manual labor or industrial work.
* Lower class: A broad term referring to people with low social status and economic means.
* Proletariat: A term used in Marxist theory to describe the working class, often in an industrial context.
More specific terms:
* Servants: This term refers to people employed in domestic service, often working for wealthy households.
* Laborers: This term is used for people who work physically, often in construction or other manual labor.
* Paupers: This term refers to people living in extreme poverty, often reliant on charity.
* Underclass: A modern term used to describe people who are chronically marginalized and have limited access to resources.
Historically specific terms:
* Villeins: Medieval term for peasants who were bound to the land and worked for a lord.
* Serfs: Medieval term for peasants who were legally tied to the land and their lord.
* Slaves: People who were owned and forced to work without pay.
Important to note:
* These terms are not always interchangeable and can have different connotations.
* The terms used to describe lower class people often carry negative connotations and reflect social hierarchies and prejudices.
* It's important to use these terms thoughtfully and with an understanding of their historical context.
When discussing social class, it's often best to be specific about the time period and location, and avoid using terms that are outdated or potentially offensive.