Where does “slave” come from?
Slave comes from Old French sclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Latin Sclavus, from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος, from Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός, referring to Slavic peoples.
slave (English): A person who is held in servitude as the property...
Definitions
- A person who is held in servitude as the property...
Ancestry of “slave”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sclave | slave individual held in slavery |
| 2 | French | esclave | slave |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | sclavus | Slav, slave; slave |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Σκλάβος | Slav |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Σκλαβηνός | Slavic |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | slověninъ | Slav |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | slovo | word |
| 8 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ślawas | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱléwos | fame |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |