noun
kitchen maid; female cook
Archaic term for a female servant who worked in the kitchen, especially in samurai or wealthy households during the Edo period. Now only encountered in historical contexts.
See also: お三 (おさん)
江戸時代の武家屋敷では、おさんどんが台所を切り盛りしていた。
In samurai residences of the Edo period, the kitchen maid managed the kitchen.
noun
kitchen work; cooking duties
Archaic term for the work done in a kitchen, such as cooking and cleaning. Often used in the context of domestic service.
See also: お三 (おさん)
おさんどんに追われて、一日があっという間に過ぎた。
Busy with kitchen duties, the day passed in a flash.
The origin is uncertain. The お is an honorific prefix, and さん may derive from 三, possibly referring to three meals a day or kitchen-related counting. どん may be a suffix of endearment or familiarity. The exact derivation is unclear.