Hine
/haɪn/noun
An archaic term for a farm laborer, servant, or household worker.
Did you know?In Old English, the ancestor of “hine” referred collectively to household dependents or servants, revealing how language encoded social rank into everyday identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kei-
“To lie, settle, or establish a dwelling”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hīwą
“A household, family unit, or domestic group”
Old English
Old English
hīw
“A household, family, or member of a domestic group”
Old English
Old English
hīwan / hīna
“Household members, servants, or dependents”
Middle English
Middle English
hine
“A servant or agricultural laborer”
Modern English
English
hine
“An archaic or dialectal farm worker or servant”