noun
nursing; attending; entertaining
Refers to the act of caring for someone, keeping them company, or entertaining them, often in a historical or literary context. The kanji 伽 is relatively rare and may be unfamiliar to many modern readers.
病床の母の伽をするために、彼女は仕事を辞めた。
She quit her job to nurse her sick mother.
旅の伽として、彼は面白い話をたくさんしてくれた。
As an entertainer on the journey, he told us many interesting stories.
看病 is the common modern word for nursing or caring for a sick person, while 伽 is more literary and includes the nuance of keeping company or entertaining.
介護 refers to nursing care, especially for the elderly or disabled, and is more formal and specific than 伽.
The kanji 伽 is used for its meaning of 'attending' or 'nursing'. The reading とぎ is a native Japanese word. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.