About
妾 is an ideogrammic compound: the upper part 䇂 is a pictograph of a tool used to tattoo the faces of criminals as punishment, and the lower part 女 means woman. Together, they represent a woman who bore the mark of penal labor, originally referring to a female slave, captive of war, or servant bound to a household through such punishment. As social institutions evolved, the term shifted from penal slave to denote a concubine, a secondary wife taken by a man alongside his primary legal spouse, reflecting a subservient position within the household. In classical Chinese, the character further developed a grammatical role as a humble first-person pronoun, used exclusively by women when addressing their husbands or social superiors to convey deference and subordinate status.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妾身真的不明白。
她是王爷的妾。
古代男子可以娶妻纳妾。
妾室在古代家庭中地位较低。
这位妾侍非常受将军宠爱。
如果妾犯了错，可能会被赶出家门。
尽管妾的地位不如正妻，但有些妾也能获得权力。
在封建社会，妾的子女通常没有继承权。
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