amah; foreign maid or nursemaid in East Asia
Historical term for a domestic helper or nursemaid, typically of Chinese origin, working in East Asia during the colonial era.
from Portuguese ama
In Hong Kong, many families used to employ amahs.
彼女は幼い頃、アマに育てられた。
She was raised by an amah when she was little.
Ateji (phonetic) kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese.
From Portuguese 'ama' (nurse, maid), borrowed into Japanese during the period of Portuguese contact.