妻つまの命みこと

Meanings

you (archaic polite, to one's spouse); dear

Archaic polite term of address used by a person to refer to their spouse or partner. Not used in modern Japanese; found only in historical or literary contexts.

古ふるい文ぶん書しょでは、妻つまの命みことという呼よびかけが見みられる。
In old documents, the address 妻の命 can be seen.

Kanji

妻wife, spouse
命fate, command, decree
夫husband, man

Related words

あなた
Modern neutral/polite 'you' or term of endearment for one's husband; 妻の命 is an archaic, highly polite variant used specifically for one's spouse.
君きみ
Casual 'you' used mainly toward equals or subordinates; 妻の命 carries a much higher level of politeness and is limited to spousal address.

Written forms

妻つまの命みこと
Archaic polite term for one's spouse; the kanji 妻の命 is the standard historical spelling.
夫つまの命みこと
Alternate kanji form using 夫; both forms are archaic and rarely encountered in modern Japanese.

Etymology

Compound of 妻 (tsuma, 'spouse') + の (no, possessive particle) + 命 (mikoto, honorific suffix for gods or nobles). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it reflects an archaic honorific form of address.