Bondwoman
/ˈbɒndˌwʊmən/noun
An enslaved or legally bound woman, especially a female bondservant or serf.
Did you know?In the King James Bible, Hagar is called a “bondwoman,” a translation that helped preserve the word’s association with slavery and servitude in English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhendh-
“To bind, tie, or fasten; the ancient root behind the idea of being legally bound.”
Proto-Germanic
*bandą
*bandą
“A bond, tie, or binding; descended from the same root as English bind and band.”
Old English
Old English
wīfmann
“Woman; literally a female person, from wīf, “woman,” plus mann, “person.””
Middle English
Middle English
bond
“A legal obligation, pledge, or condition of servitude; the word also came to describe a person bound to another.”
Late 14th Century
English
bondwoman
“A woman held in bondage or servitude; the feminine counterpart of bondman.”
Modern English
English
bondwoman
“An archaic term for an enslaved or legally bound woman, now chiefly encountered in historical and biblical contexts.”