English
wikipedia|concubinage

Etymology
Origin: 1250�1300; ME (< AF) < L concubīna, equiv. to concub- (var. s. of concumbere to lie together; see con-, incumbent) + -īna fem. suffix.

Noun
en-noun

1. A woman who lives with a man, but who is not a wife.
2. A slave-girl for sexual service prominent in all ancient cultures.
3. Signifies a relationship where the male is the dominant partner, socially and economically
4. A woman attached to a man solely for reproduction, and who cares for the resulting children without any romantic relationship

#(esp. formerly in Muslim societies) a woman residing in a harem and kept, as by a sultan, for sexual purposes. <ref>Random House Unabridged Dictionary</ref>

See also
姨 (for the chinese ideograph)
concubines
harem
polygamy
seraglio

Notes
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ru:concubine
fi:concubine
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vi:concubine
zh:concubine

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