noun
Archaic and derogatory term for a prostitute, literally 'woman of lowly occupation'. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.
江戸時代の資料には「賤業婦」という言葉が見られる。
The term 賤業婦 can be found in documents from the Edo period.
Compound of 賤 (sen, 'lowly, base') + 業 (gyō, 'occupation') + 婦 (fu, 'woman'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely emerged as a derogatory label in pre-modern Japanese.