芸者

Appears to be a Japanese coinage of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as a compound of 芸 (gei, “art, technique”) +‎ 者 (sha, “person”).

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) げーしゃ [gèéshá] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [ɡe̞ːɕa̠]

芸者 (shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 藝者, hiragana げいしゃ, rōmaji geisha)

1. a geisha
2. one who is proficient in an art, an artisan
   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 295)

     Gueixa. Guei arumono. (芸ある者) 芸能の心得のある者、または、能力のある者.

3. a person who utilizes their art as an occupation
   • 1688: 日本永代蔵, Volume 6, Chapter 5

     一切の人間、目有鼻あり、手あしもかはらず生れ付て、貴人・高人、よろづの藝者は各別、常の町人、金銀の有徳ゆへ世上に名をしらるゝ事、是を思へば、若き時よりかせぎて、分限の其名を世に殘さぬは口をし。

4. one who entertains parties with song and dance

• Korean: 기생 (妓生, gisaeng)

• Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1980, →ISBN.
• Noma, Kōshin (1960) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 48: Saigakushū (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN