女房
にょうぼう · nyoubou · JLPT N2 · noun
wife
女房 = 女 (woman) + 房 (room, household): the woman who runs the house.
Classical usage: 女 woman plus 房 chamber, the lady of the chamber or household. Pronounced nyoubou, with the 'nyo' sounding like 'new' followed by 'bow'.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.