7067
Can someone explain the etymology of the word お局 as well as how it is used in
modern slang? I took an educated guess as to the colloquial meaning but am
unsure of its nuances, be they comedic, insulting or otherwise....

> お局に小言を言われることにうんざりしている。
>
> I’m sick of being scolded by “otsubone.”
>
> 局: bureau; board; office; affair; conclusion; court lady; lady-in-waiting;
> her apartment;
>
> colloquial: an older single woman in a man's world/a term used to scornfully
> describe an unmarried veteran female employee [?]
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2012-10-08T17:24:34.597
7065
2012-10-08T21:43:16.307
706
question
words etymology
Etymology of the term お局 and how it is used in slang
The etymology is prefix o + noun tubone (局). A tubone is a "room" in a large
building. These rooms were primarly prepared for women who served at noble or
imperial residences. The term has been around since around the 14th century.

Historically, an otubone was a woman who served at the imperial court and
given a "room" (局) of her own. During the Edo period, the otubone was the one
responsible for managing the women who served in the
[大奥](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Coku).

In modern Japan, there is no longer an 大奥, and the meaning has changed to
express a woman with some power who has been working for a long time. Until
recently, women in Japan were expected to quit their jobs once they got
married, so an otubone would be assumed to be single.
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2012-10-08T21:43:16.307
7067
2012-10-08T21:43:16.307
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answer