Wife - Okugata

Japanese: 奥方 - おくがた

[1] 〘 noun 〙① A secluded area in a samurai's residence where wives, maids, and other women live. Oku-ma (inner room) . ※Genan Memorandum (1562) "In recent years, when someone says zatou (a head of a household) comes to Okugata (inner room). I find it hard to accept it."② (from the meaning of living in an inner building) A respectful term for the wife of a nobleman, feudal lord, or other person of high rank. Later it was also used by the middle class, and now it is often used to express sarcasm or irony. Madam. Oku-no-myo. Lady. ※Tenrihon Kyogen, Hito no Uma (late Muromachi period - early modern period) "I went to Okugata and asked for a woman from the lower house." [2] Oshu. Tohoku region. ※Gikeiki (mid-Muromachi period) 1 "I am a man who trades gold and goes down to Oshu every year, but I have heard of someone from Okugata who has come to visit me."

Oku-tsu-kata [wife]

〘 noun 〙 ("tsu" means "of") The innermost part. A secluded place. ※Sarashina Nikki (around 1059) "A person who lived farther back than the end of the Azumaji road."

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

[1] 〘名〙① 武家屋敷で、妻、侍女など女性が暮らす奥まった所。奥の間(ま)。※幻庵覚書（1562）「近年座頭と申せば、いづれもおくがたへ参候。心へがたく候へども」② (奥の建物に住む意から) 公家、大名など、身分のある人の妻を敬っていう語。のちには中流にも用い、現在はからかい、皮肉などの意をこめる時などに使うことが多い。奥様。奥御前。夫人。※天理本狂言・人を馬（室町末‐近世初）「おくがたへ申て、おはしたの女房を一人申うけて」[2] 奥州のほう。東北地方。※義経記（室町中か）一「金(こがね)を商ひて毎年奥州へ下る者にて候が、おくがたに知召(しろしめ)したる人や御入候」