About
The character "嬷" derives from its traditional counterpart "嬤", which combines the semantic element "女" for woman with the phonetic component "摩". The simplified form substitutes "摩" with "麻" as the phonetic indicator. Originally appearing in the reduplicated form "嬷嬷" to address motherly figures, the term's meaning shifted over centuries to specifically designate elderly women in servile positions, including household attendants and religious sisters.