Poetic or literary term for a young girl or maiden; similar to 乙女 (おとめ) but with an archaic or elevated feel. Rare in everyday speech.
See also: 乙女
In old poetry collections, the figure of a beautiful maiden is celebrated.
Otomego is an elegant word that is hardly used in modern times.
乙女 is the standard modern word for 'maiden' or 'young girl', while 乙女子 is a more poetic and archaic variant.
少女 is the common neutral term for 'girl'; 乙女子 carries a literary, old-fashioned nuance.
Standard kanji spelling for this poetic term.
Variant kanji spelling; less common than 乙女子.
Compound of 乙女 (otome, 'maiden') + 子 (ko, 'child'), with rendaku voicing. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the form is attested in classical Japanese poetry.