▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁married ▁woman , ▁although ▁a ▁respect ed , ▁older ▁un mar ried ▁or ▁wid owed ▁woman ▁( typ ically ▁someone ▁beyond ▁child - b ear ing ▁age ) ▁was ▁often ▁acceptable . ▁ ▁Ch aper ones ▁were ▁usually ▁not ▁required ▁in ▁situations ▁where ▁an ▁un mar ried ▁woman ' s ▁father ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁accomp any ▁his ▁daughter ( s ). ▁Ch aper ones ▁for ▁young ▁men ▁were ▁not ▁commonly ▁employed ▁in ▁Western ▁society ▁until ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁although ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁precise ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁he ▁was ▁on , ▁a ▁young ▁male ▁who ▁tempor arily ▁left ▁the ▁company ▁of ▁their ▁parents ▁would ▁usually ▁find ▁himself ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁coach es , ▁employ ers ▁or ▁other ▁such ▁individuals ▁( such ▁personnel ▁were ▁not ▁typically ▁seen ▁to ▁be ▁ch aper ones ▁in ▁the ▁traditional ▁sense ). ▁ ▁D uen na ▁English - spe aking ▁cult ures ▁supposed , ▁perhaps ▁correctly , ▁that ▁the ▁institution ▁was ▁particularly ▁strict ▁in ▁southern ▁Europe , ▁especially ▁in ▁Spain , ▁to ▁which ▁they ▁attributed ▁the ▁word ▁du en na , ▁a ▁miss p elling ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁word ▁" due ña ". ▁By ▁an ▁extended ▁usage ▁the ▁word ▁du en na ▁has ▁come ▁to ▁mean ▁a ▁young ▁woman ' s ▁female ▁companion ▁from ▁any ▁culture , ▁particularly ▁one ▁who ▁is ▁exceed ingly ▁strict ▁( the ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁instances ▁" There ▁is ▁no ▁du en na ▁so ▁rig id ly ▁pr udent ▁as ▁