女房

Etymology 1
Probably ultimately from, with an initial meaning in line with the spelling:  +. First cited to 985.

Noun

 * 1)  a woman who works in the imperial household and is granted personal living quarters in the imperial grounds;  a female servant for a high-ranking household
 * 2)  one's female lover or love interest
 * 3)   one's own wife
 * 4)   a nom de plume used by royalty, nobility, and other high-ranking authors in poetry contests, to avoid biasing the judges
 * 1)   a nom de plume used by royalty, nobility, and other high-ranking authors in poetry contests, to avoid biasing the judges
 * 1)   a nom de plume used by royalty, nobility, and other high-ranking authors in poetry contests, to avoid biasing the judges

Etymology 2


Shortening of the final vowel in.

First cited to 1752.

Noun

 * 1)  one's own wife

Etymology 3
Shift from.

First cited to a text from the late 1100s.

This form of the word gained greater currency during the (1336–1573), then fell out of use in the early  (1603–1868). It is possible that this form of the word is simply an orthographical variant; various Japanese references indicate that it might have still been pronounced as something like nyōbō.

Noun

 * 1)   one's wife