Historical term for a female servant or maid, especially in pre-modern Japan. Not used in contemporary settings; see 女中 for a related term.
In large merchant houses of the Edo period, several maidservants worked.
'Hashitame' is an old word that is hardly used today.
水仕女 refers specifically to a kitchen maid or scullery maid, a type of female servant.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
Alternate kanji form; rarely used.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common.
Compound of 端 (はし, 'edge; lowly') and 女 (め, 'woman'), indicating a woman of low status. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.