Is there a feminine equivalent to aruji? If a servant was addressing a noblewoman, what term would they use? I am looking for the more archaic term, not one that would used in current ordinary speech. (I understand that 'aruji' is fairly archaic.)
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2I don't believe 主｛あるじ｝ is a gendered term– AngelosCommented Feb 24, 2021 at 18:37
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So a servant could refer to a noblewoman as 'aruji'?– BKNY SteveCommented Feb 24, 2021 at 22:14
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Is this "noblewoman" the owner of the house the servant is serving at? And what's the setting? Japan, or Europe in the Victorian Era, or some isekai?– narutoCommented Feb 25, 2021 at 0:12
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I think the poster who referred to the Beast girl is thinking of the same scenario that I am. I'm wondering how someone with a dress the Beast girl, if they thought of her as higher status and wanted to Render unto her the same level of respect that she renders to her master. In terms of setting, it's modern Japan, but with a girl whose thought processes are stuck in the Middle Ages– BKNY SteveCommented Feb 26, 2021 at 0:08
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1 Answer
First, 主【あるじ】 is not particularly gender-specific, but it's not a very common way of addressing one's master, either. It sounds relatively blunt and less sophisticated. If you want to play it safe, avoid aruji altogether. (It can be natural in some fictional situations, though. For example, one user of aruji I know is a young and proud beast girl who is basically loyal to her master but is not good at keigo and treats him like her friend. Other possible users of aruji would be a bandit, a samurai living in the countryside, a dwarf living in a remote cave, etc.)
The common words used by classic housemaid/butler/servant type characters are ご主人様 for a male owner, 奥様 for a married woman, and お嬢様 for an unmarried lady. ご主人様 and お嬢様 are something you would hear at "maid cafés" in Japan.
