noun
Archaic familiar term for 'mother', using the old possessive じゃ (modern の). Not used in contemporary Japanese; encountered only in historical or literary texts.
昔話に「母じゃ人、どこへ行く」という台詞が出てくる。
In old tales, the line 'Mother, where are you going?' appears.
Compound of 母 (haha, 'mother') + archaic possessive particle じゃ (ja, equivalent to modern の) + 人 (hito, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely originated as a familiar or affectionate term in older Japanese.