noun
Archaic poetic term for 'woman', found in classical Japanese poetry and literature. Not used in modern everyday language.
万葉集には「おみな」という言葉がよく出てくる。
The word 'omina' appears often in the Man'yōshū.
A more formal and neutral term for 'woman' or 'female', common in modern Japanese.
The reading おみな is an Old Japanese form, from which the modern おんな is derived. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is preserved in classical poetry.