noun
Honorific term used in kyogen plays and historical settings to refer to one's own lord or master. Not used in modern everyday speech.
See also: 頼うだ人
狂言では、家来が「頼うだ御方」と呼びかける場面がよくある。
In kyogen, there are often scenes where a retainer addresses his lord as 'tanouda okata'.
Standard kanji spelling for this honorific term used in kyogen and historical contexts.
Variant spelling with お in kana; also found.
Derived from 頼うだ (tanouda, 'reliable') + 御方 (okata, 'honorable person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a set phrase from kyogen theater.