Origin

This character combines a sound hint on the left with a meaning component on the right. The left part, 女 (woman), doesn't mean "woman" here but rather gives a rough hint about pronunciation. The right part, 又 (again or a hand/arm), suggests repetition or subordinate action. Together, the character came to mean a person who repeatedly does others' bidding — a servant or fellow — originally with a sense of someone lower in status.