palace room for officials or ladies-in-waiting; room in a palace or estate for employees; person living in such a room
Historical term for a room in a palace or noble estate used by government officials or ladies-in-waiting; also refers to the person occupying it. The second sense extends this to rooms for employees in private estates.
平安時代の宮中では、女官たちは曹司で生活していた。
In the Heian-period imperial court, ladies-in-waiting lived in palace rooms called 曹司.
boarding house for trainee administrators (ritsuryō period)
Specific to the ritsuryō period, referring to a dormitory for students of the 大学寮 (Daigaku-ryō) who were training to become government officials.
See also: 大学寮
この屋敷には、使用人のための曹司がいくつか設けられていた。
This mansion had several rooms set aside for servants.
Under the ritsuryō system, students of the Daigaku-ryō boarded in a dormitory called 曹司.