漢女

• 文女

From Old Japanese.

Compound of 漢 (Aya, one of the purported ancient clans who originated from China) +‎ 女 (me, “woman”).

漢女 (hiragana あやめ, rōmaji ayame)

1. (archaic) women who came to ancient Japan skilled in the art of weaving textiles such as 綾錦 (ayanishiki)
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 7, poem 1273), text here

     住吉 (すみの𛀁の)波 (＊)豆 (＊)麻 (＊)公 (きみ)之 (が)馬乗 (うまのり)衣 (ころも)雜豆臈 (さひづらふ)漢 (あや)女 (め)乎 (を)座 (すゑ)而 (て)縫 (ぬへる)衣 (ころも)叙 (ぞ) [Man'yōgana]

     住吉 (すみのえ)の波 (は)豆 (づ)麻 (ま)の君 (きみ)が馬乗 (うまのり)衣 (ころも)さひづらふ漢 (あや)女 (め)を据 (す)ゑて縫 (ぬ)へる衣 (ころも)ぞ [Modern spelling]

     Suminoe no Hazuma no kimi ga uma nori koromo saizurau ayame o suete nueru koromo zo

     (please add an English translation of this example)

• 菖蒲 (アヤメ) (ayame, “iris”)

• 文 (あや), 紋 (あや), 絢 (あや), 綾 (あや) (aya)
• 囀 (さいず)らう (saizurau, pillow word alluding to ayame)