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仕え女 (tsukaeme) Japanese meaning: maidservant | Kotomora

仕つかえ女め

Meanings

1

Historical term for a female servant or maid; not used in modern everyday language. Appears in classical or period contexts.

古こ典てん文ぶん学がくには、仕つかえ女めが登とう場じょうする場ば面めんが多おおい。
In classical literature, maidservants appear in many scenes.

Kanji

仕attend, doing, official
女woman, female

Related words

女じょ中ちゅう
Also means maidservant, but was used into the early modern period and can still be encountered in historical contexts; 仕え女 is older and more literary.
メイド
Modern loanword for maid, often in Western or contemporary settings; 仕え女 is purely historical Japanese.

Etymology

Compound of 仕え (つかえ, serving) + 女 (め, woman). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with a female servant.