noun
in-house geisha; geisha working on premises
Refers to a geisha who lives and works directly in a restaurant, inn, or similar establishment, rather than being called from an external geisha house (置屋). This arrangement was more common in the past.
昔は旅館に内芸者がいることもあった。
In the past, some inns had in-house geisha.
内芸者は置屋から派遣される芸者とは立場が異なる。
An in-house geisha has a different status from a geisha dispatched from a geisha house.
Compound of 内 (uchi, 'inside, within') and 芸者 (geisha, 'geisha'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term straightforwardly describes a geisha who works inside a particular establishment.