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早乙女 (さおとめ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
young female rice planter ; young maiden ; young girl
Traditional and literary word. It most specifically refers to young women or girls planting rice, especially in an older rural or ceremonial setting; it can also mean a young girl or maiden in poetic usage.
古ふる
い
歌うた
で
は
、
若わか
い
娘むすめ
を
早さ
乙女おとめ
と
呼よ
ぶ
こと
が
ある
。
In old songs, a young girl may be called a saotome, a maiden.
Written forms 早さ 乙女おとめ Usage 98%
Standard spelling for さおとめ; this form is also familiar as a family name, but the sense here is the common noun.
サオトメ Usage 2%
早さ 少女おとめ
Attested alternate kanji spelling; much less common than 早乙女.
Kanji 乙 the latter, duplicate, strange Similar words 乙女おとめ A broader word for a maiden or young woman, often literary or romantic; 早乙女 is more specifically tied to rice planting or traditional poetic imagery.
少しょう 女じょ The ordinary modern word for a young girl; 早乙女 is much more literary, old-fashioned, and culturally specific.
Etymology The form is conventionally associated with 乙女, meaning a maiden or young woman, plus 早 as written in 早乙女. The exact historical derivation of さおとめ is uncertain; the alternate spelling 早少女 makes the 'young girl' element explicit.
