妾
ショウ, めかけ, そばめ, わらわ

concubine

JLPT0 G13 S0 F5000

An abbreviated form# of 辛 needle/cutting tool + 女 woman → female slave (tattooed with a needle) employed as a *concubine* → *mistress*; *lady-in-waiting*. For the connection between tattoos and slaves, compare 隷. In derivative characters, 妾 conveys the idea of being in close proximity, as in when having sex with a concubine.

[Full Kanji Etymology List]