Familiar, somewhat old-fashioned term used to address or refer to a young woman, especially a maid or a girl from a good family. Often used by older people or in historical settings.
The young lady of the mansion was picking flowers in the garden.
The old woman said, "Young lady, could you make some tea?"
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 姉や and 姐や are rare and may be encountered in older texts.
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.
From 姉や, a familiar form of address for an older girl or young woman, with 姉 pronounced ねえ and the vocative suffix や.