noun
court ladies' secret language; women's language of the Muromachi period
A historical sociolect used by court ladies in the Muromachi period, characterized by euphemistic and elegant expressions, often replacing direct terms with indirect or softened words.
女房詞は、室町時代の宮中で女房たちが使った独特の言葉遣いです。
Nyōbō kotoba is a distinctive style of speech used by court ladies in the imperial palace during the Muromachi period.
Words like 'okazu' (side dish) and 'ohiya' (cold water) are said to originate from nyōbō kotoba.