noun
maid-in-waiting in the domestic quarters of a shogun or daimyo (Edo period)
Historical term for a female servant who worked in the inner palace (奥) of a shogun or daimyo during the Edo period.
大奥では多くの御殿女中が仕えていた。
Many maids-in-waiting served in the inner palace of the shogun.
女中 is a general term for a maid or female servant, while 御殿女中 specifically refers to a maid serving in the palace of a shogun or daimyo.
Compound of 御殿 (palace) and 女中 (maid). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the term is specific to the Edo period.