also: おぐな
noun
little boy; young boy
Archaic term for a young boy; not used in modern everyday speech. Found in classical literature or historical contexts.
古文では「童男」と書いて「おぐな」または「どうなん」と読ませることがある。
In classical texts, 童男 can be read as おぐな or どうなん, referring to a young boy.
少年 is the standard modern word for 'boy', while 童男 is archaic and rarely used outside historical contexts.
The kanji 童 (child) and 男 (male) combine to mean 'male child'. The reading どうなん is the on'yomi, while おぐな is an archaic kun'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.