本文旨在討論唐代文獻中出現的「里胥」，分析與歸納里胥的三種不同的用法：典故用法、泛稱、專稱，並追溯這三種用法的來源及意義。典故用法見於吏部銓的試題、皇帝詔敕以及部分文章，典出《漢書．食貨志上》的記載。作為泛稱，指涉的是制度之外，在州縣等地方政府從事各樣工作的胥吏。作為專稱，則是指政府建立新的制度，在州縣等地方政府設置某些從事專門工作的新胥吏。中唐以後，作為泛稱的里胥廣泛出現於州縣等地方政府中。里胥多由地方鄉里的豪強擔任，負責諸如催驅賦役、漕運維護以及上級官員交辦的臨時事務等行政工作。泛稱型里胥的廣泛出現，反映了中唐以後政治、社會的變動，說明了地方政府中臨時人員的增加，成為日後宋代以降地方政府治理的特色。

This article discusses lixu （里胥, “community functionaries”）in the Tang Dynasty. I will analyze and generalize the origins and meanings of three different usages of this term: its usage as a literary allusion, a general usage, and a specialized usage. As a literary allusion, lixu invoked a passage in the History of Han（漢書） and is often seen in answers to examination questions, imperial edicts, and literati essays. The general usage referred to those minor officials who were employed outside of the official bureaucracy and performed various tasks at the local government level. The specialized meaning referred to minor officials who were officially added to local governments by the central government and who dealt with specialized administration works.After the mid-Tang, the general sense of lixu was seen widely in texts, the position of lixu usually being filled by local elites. The emergence of lixu reflects changes in the socio-political sphere after the mid-Tang. This phenomenon is illustrated by the increas in temporary staff in local governments and became characteristic of local government after the Tang Dynasty.