Historical term for a female servant or maid, especially in pre-modern Japan. Not used in contemporary settings; see 女中 for a related term.
In large merchant houses of the Edo period, several maidservants worked.
'Hashitame' is an old word that is hardly used today.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
Alternate kanji form; rarely used.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common.
Compound of 端 (はし, 'edge; lowly') and 女 (め, 'woman'), indicating a woman of low status. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.