幻げん妻さい

noun

wife; woman

Derogatory and rare term for a wife or woman, implying she is showy, deceptive, or not what she seems. The kanji 幻 (phantom) and 衒 (display) reinforce this negative nuance.

• 彼かれは自じ分ぶんの妻つまを「幻げん妻さい」と呼よんで軽けい蔑べつした。

  He scornfully called his own wife a 'phantom wife' (幻妻).

noun

prostitute; streetwalker

Rare, archaic term for a prostitute or streetwalker, likely from the idea of a woman who displays herself (衒妻) or is not a genuine wife. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんに「衒げん妻さい」という言こと葉ばが見みられる。

  The word 衒妻 appears in Edo-period documents.