There are several theories, all of which analyse it as よ (yo) + 女 (me, “woman, female”). However, よ (yo) may be one of the following:
- 呼 (“to call out, invite”, in reference to welcoming the daughter-in-law as the son’s wife)
- 弱 (“weak”, in reference to the inferior position relative to the mother-in-law)
- 夜 (“night”, in reference to serving the husband at night)
- 良 (“good”)
- 吉 (“good luck”)
よめ • (yome)
- bride
-
- 六三四くん!私たちのこと忘れないで——‼
- Musashi-kun! Watakushi-tachi no koto wasure nai de——‼
- Musashi-kun! Don’t forget about us——‼
おやぶーん、いつか帰ってこいよ〰‼- Oyabūn, itsuka kaette koi yo~‼
- Come see us someday, boss〰⁉
もなみを……六三四くんのお嫁さんさしてね〰〰‼- Monami o…… Musashi-kun no o-yome-san sa shite ne~~‼
- When we grow up…… marry me, okaaay~!?
- (literally, “Make Monami…… Musashi-kun’s bride~!!”)
- daughter in law
- (archaic, now chiefly Kansai) wife
- (Internet slang) waifu or husbando
- Synonym: むこ (muko, “husbando”)
- Coordinate term: むこ (muko, “husbando”)
よめ • (yome)
- imperative of よむ (yomu)
- ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
- ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN