First, let's break down and briefly analyze this compound word. According to the Baidu Encyclopedia:
The character 小(xiao) was first seen in oracle bone script. Its original meaning was "fine dust particle," but later its meaning expanded to "small," and it acquired additional meanings such as "humble," "young," or "young people." " Xiao shu" (小) is also used as a humble term to refer to oneself or things related to oneself.
The character姐(shǔ) first appeared in the Small Seal Script in the Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Characters), originally meaning another way to refer to a mother. In ancient times, people in the Shu Kingdom called their mother姐(shǔ), which later expanded to mean "older sister" (as in Wu Zeng's *Neng Gai Zhai Man Lu* during the Southern Song Dynasty).
"Xiao Shu" (小姐) is a compound word, originating from Zhao Yi's book "Cai Yu Cong Kao" during the Qing Dynasty. This term has the following meanings:
When used as an honorific, "young lady" usually precedes the name of an unmarried woman or a young girl, or refers to young girls in general.
In Vietnam, from the 19th century, the term "young lady" was similar to the definition today, often referring to a girl or daughter from a wealthy family, for example: " The young lady scolded her again " ( The Tale of Kieu , Lieu Van Duong edition, 1866). In Chinese literature, "young lady" meant the daughter of a powerful family (Ling Mengchu's *Shu Ke Pu An Jing Qi * (volume 5) written at the end of the Ming Dynasty; Cao Xueqin 's *Dream of the Red Chamber* (chapter 45) from the Qing Dynasty).
In the past, "young lady" referred to a maid, concubine, or meant "singing girl" (a girl who specialized in singing) in Hong Mai's * Di Kien Tam Chi Ky * (volume 4) during the Southern Song Dynasty, or it was a title referring to a wife or lady (opening scene in Jia Zhongming's * Kim An Tho * play during the Ming Dynasty).
In slang, "young lady" refers to a "prostitute," meaning a female escort.
"A young lady from a noble family" is an idiom referring to a talented and virtuous woman from a prestigious family, a phrase originating from the chapter "Virtuous Court" in the *New Anecdotes of the World * compiled and edited by Liu Yiqing during the Southern Song Dynasty.
Besides "young lady," there are several synonyms such as: daughter ; lady; and unmarried girl . However, unlike " young lady ," "young woman " can also mean "concubine" or "aunt," that is, the father's sister, also known as "aunt" (Lao Tan Du Ki , Chapter Eight).
Additionally, the term " mistress" is also used, a form of address for unmarried women, a transliteration of the English word "Miss".
Today, "Miss" also refers to the winner of a beauty pageant, often named after the region. For example: Miss China (Miss China); Miss World (Miss World).
When reading translated texts from Chinese, you'll sometimes find that "xiao shu" (小姐) is used as a gender-specific term, with the meaning depending on the accompanying modifier. For example: "Ren Yu Xiao Shu" is "mermaid" or "mermaid beauty"; "Zuo Tai Xiao Shu" is "bar girl" or "professional escort"; and of course, "Kong Zhong Xiao Shu" isn't a girl who fell from the sky, but rather... "flight attendant"; "Bo Sing Xiao Shu " is a female singer or hostess working in a karaoke bar, often chatting with customers, singing, and sometimes drinking with them...
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tieu-thu-nghia-xua-va-nay-185250801230953723.htm
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