noun
Archaic and derogatory term for a prostitute, literally 'woman of lowly occupation'. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical or literary contexts.
江戸時代の資料には「賤業婦」という言葉が見られる。
The term 賤業婦 can be found in documents from the Edo period.
Archaic kanji form using 賤 (shin) meaning 'lowly' or 'base'. The variant 賎 is also attested.
Variant spelling with 賎, a character often used interchangeably with 賤 in older texts.
Compound of 賤 (sen, 'lowly, base') + 業 (gyō, 'occupation') + 婦 (fu, 'woman'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely emerged as a derogatory label in pre-modern Japanese.