男だん色しょく

noun

male homosexuality; sodomy

Historical term for male homosexuality, often in the context of pre-modern Japan. Not a neutral modern term; carries a classical or literary tone.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんには男だん色しょくに関かんする記き述じゅつが多おおく見みられる。

  Many descriptions of male homosexuality appear in Edo-period documents.

noun

male prostitute

Only with reading なんしょく

Archaic sense, read なんしょく. Refers to a male prostitute in historical contexts.

• 「男だん色しょく」を「なんしょく」と読よむと、昔むかしの男だん娼しょうを指さすことがある。

  When read as なんしょく, 男色 can refer to a male prostitute of the past.