Archaic and derogatory term for a prostitute, literally 'woman of lowly occupation'. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.
The term 賤業婦 can be found in documents from the Edo period.
Modern, neutral term for a prostitute, whereas 賤業婦 is archaic and carries a strong derogatory nuance.
Historical term for a courtesan or prostitute in the Edo period, often with a specific social role, while 賤業婦 is a more general and pejorative label.
Archaic kanji form using 賤 (shin) meaning 'lowly' or 'base'. The variant 賎 is also attested.
Variant spelling with 賎, a character often used interchangeably with 賤 in older texts.
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.