noun
mistress; kept woman; concubine
Archaic term for a woman financially supported by a man in a non-marital relationship, often implying a secondary or unofficial status. Related to 手掛け (てかけ), which can refer to the man's side of the arrangement.
See also: 手掛け (てかけ)
江戸時代の文献には、商家の主人が手掛け女を囲う話がよく出てくる。
In Edo-period documents, stories of merchant house masters keeping a mistress often appear.
「手掛け女」は現代ではほとんど使われない古い言葉だ。
手掛け女 is an old word that is hardly used today.
Refers to the man who keeps a mistress, or the act of keeping one; 手掛け女 specifically denotes the woman in such a relationship.
A more common historical term for concubine or mistress, often with stronger legal/social connotations.
Modern neutral term for lover or mistress, without the archaic or financial dependency nuance of 手掛け女.
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic term.
Variant spelling omitting the okurigana け.
Alternate kanji for 掛け; less common.
Compound of 手掛け (てかけ, 'keeping a mistress') + 女 (おんな, 'woman'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is firmly archaic.