slave

slave
{{11}}slave (n.) late 13c., "person who is the property of another," from O.Fr. esclave (13c.), from M.L. Sclavus "slave" (Cf. It. schiavo, Fr. esclave, Sp. esclavo), originally "Slav" (see SLAV (Cf. Slav)), so called because of the many Slavs sold into slavery by conquering peoples.
This sense development arose in the consequence of the wars waged by Otto the Great and his successors against the Slavs, a great number of whom they took captive and sold into slavery. [Klein]
Old English Wealh "Briton" also began to be used in the sense of "serf, slave" c.850; and Skt. dasa-, which can mean "slave," is apparently connected to dasyu- "pre-Aryan inhabitant of India."
More common Old English words for slave were þeow (related to þeowian "to serve") and þræl (see THRALL (Cf. thrall)). The Slavic words for "slave" (Rus. rab, Serbo-Croatian rob, O.C.S. rabu) are from O.Slav. *orbu, from the PIE root *orbh- (also source of orphan) the ground sense of which seems to be "thing that changes allegiance" (in the case of the slave, from himself to his master). The Slavic word is also the source of ROBOT (Cf. robot).
Applied to devices from 1904, especially those which are controlled by others (Cf. slave jib in sailing, similarly of locomotives, flash bulbs, amplifiers). slave-driver is attested from 1807.
{{12}}slave (v.) c.1600, "to enslave," from SLAVE (Cf. slave) (n.). The meaning "work like a slave" is first recorded 1719. Related: Slaved; slaving.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • slave — [ slav ] adj. et n. • 1575; sclave 1573; lat. médiév. sclavus; cf. esclave ♦ Se dit de peuples d Europe centrale et orientale dont les langues sont apparentées. Peuples slaves. Union slave. ⇒ panslavisme. Le charme slave, qu on prête… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Slave I — is a fictional spacecraft in the Star Wars universe. It first appears in the film under the command of bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch), and then in the prequel film commanded by Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison). Slave I also appears in… …   Wikipedia

  • Slave — (sl[=a]v), n. [Cf. F. esclave, D. slaaf, Dan. slave, sclave, Sw. slaf, all fr. G. sklave, MHG. also slave, from the national name of the Slavonians, or Sclavonians (in LL. Slavi or Sclavi), who were frequently made slaves by the Germans. See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • slave — (slāv) n. 1. One who is owned as the property of someone else, especially in involuntary servitude. 2. One who is subservient to or controlled by another: »his boss s slave. 3. One who is subject to or controlled by a specified influence: »a… …   Word Histories

  • Slave — (engl. für „Sklave“), nicht zu verwechseln mit Slawe, steht für: Master/Slave, ein allgemeines hierarchisches Prinzip der Regelung und Steuerung Slave River, ein Fluss in Kanada Eine devote Person (auch „Sub“ genannt) im BDSM Ein fotografisches… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • slave — [slāv] n. [ME sclave < OFr or ML: OFr esclave < ML sclavus, slave, orig., Slav < LGr Sklabos, ult. < OSlav Slovēne, native name of a Slavic people: first used of captives of Slavic orig. in SE Europe] 1. a human being who is owned as… …   English World dictionary

  • Slave — Indian tribe of northwestern Canada, 1789, from SLAVE (Cf. slave) (n.), translating Cree (Algonquian) awahkan captive, slave …   Etymology dictionary

  • Slave — Slave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Slaved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Slaving}.] To drudge; to toil; to labor as a slave. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • slave — (izg. slȇjv) m DEFINICIJA inform. naziv za podređeni, podčinjeni ili sporedni uređaj [primarni slave; sekundarni slave], opr. master (4) ETIMOLOGIJA engl …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Slave — (sl[aum]v or sl[a^]v; 277) n. See {Slav}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Slave — Slave, v. t. To enslave. Marston. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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