noun
Dialectal term from the Tōhoku region, equivalent to standard Japanese 子供 or 童 (わらべ). Often encountered in folklore contexts, such as 座敷童 (ざしきわらし).
See also: 童 (わらべ)
座敷童は東北地方の民話に出てくるわらしだ。
The zashiki-warashi is a child-like spirit that appears in Tōhoku folklore.
Standard Japanese word for 'child', used nationwide. わらし is a dialectal equivalent limited to Tōhoku.
Archaic/literary word for 'child', sometimes used in poetry or set phrases. わらし is a regional variant.
Dialectal variant of 童 (わらべ), with the final syllable shifting from べ to し, a feature of Tōhoku dialects.