Where does “slaves” come from?
Slaves comes from Old French sclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Latin Sclavus, from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος, from Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός, originally denoting a member of a Slavic people.
slaves (English): plural of slave; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of slave; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “slaves”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | slave | A person who is held in servitude as the property... |
| 2 | Middle English | sclave | — |
| 3 | French | esclave | slave |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | sclavus | Slav, slave; slave |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Σκλάβος | Slav |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Σκλαβηνός | — |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | slověninъ | Slav |
| 8 | Proto-Slavic | slovo | word |
| 9 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ślawas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱléwos | fame |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |