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交換嬢 (koukanjou) Japanese meaning: telephone operator | Kotomora

交こう換かん嬢じょう

こ

う

か

ん

じょ

う

Meanings

1

telephone operator

A somewhat dated term for a female telephone switchboard operator. The kanji 交換 refers to the switching/exchange function, and 嬢 is a suffix for young women in certain occupational roles.

昔むかしの電でん話わ交こう換かん手しゅは「交こう換かん嬢じょう」と

呼よ

ば

れる

こと

も

あっ

た

。

In the past, telephone switchboard operators were sometimes called '交換嬢'.

Kanji

交mingle, mixing, association
換interchange, period, change
嬢lass, girl, Miss

Related words

交こう換かん手しゅ
A more common and gender-neutral term for a telephone switchboard operator. 交換嬢 specifically refers to a female operator and is less frequently used today.

Built from

交こう換かん+嬢じょう

Etymology

Compound of 交換 (こうかん, 'exchange, switching') and 嬢 (じょう, a suffix for young women in certain roles). The term likely arose in the early to mid-20th century when telephone switchboard operation was a common occupation for young women.