noun
Archaic, familiar, and male-gendered term of endearment used in classical Japanese poetry and prose for a wife, lover, or close female friend. Not used in modern conversation.
See also: 吾妹
万葉集に「吾妹子が形見の衣」と詠まれている。
In the Man'yōshū, there is a poem that reads, 'The robe that is a keepsake of my dear.'
「吾妹子」は、古い和歌で恋人や妻を呼ぶ言葉として使われた。
'Wagimoko' was used in old waka poetry as a term for one's lover or wife.
A shorter archaic form with the same meaning; 吾妹子 is a more affectionate variant with the diminutive 子.
From Old Japanese. Composed of 我 (wa, 'I, my') + 妹子 (imoko, 'beloved girl, little sister'), with the medial -g- possibly a remnant of an old genitive particle. The exact derivation is uncertain.