mui-tsai

noun

¦müē¦jī
plural mui-tsai
1
: a young slave girl in South China
2
: a system of girl slavery in South China

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Cantonese) mooî-tsaí, from mooî younger sister + tsaí little; akin to Chinese (Pekingese) mei4-tsai3 little younger sister, from mei4 younger sister + tsai3 child

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Cite this Entry

“Mui-tsai.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mui-tsai. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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