prostitute (archaic abbreviation)
Archaic abbreviation of やんま, a term for a prostitute. Not used in modern Japanese outside of historical contexts.
See also: やんま
Taro-yan, hurry up and come!
Granny, how have you been?
You can't do that, you know.
In Edo-period documents, the word やん sometimes appears referring to a prostitute.
This is really delicious, you know!
Kana-only form; no kanji spelling is given.
The suffix and particle uses are characteristic of Kansai dialect, likely derived from contractions of や (copula) + の (explanatory) or from affectionate suffix patterns. The archaic noun sense is an abbreviation of やんま, whose origin is uncertain.