slavery

Overview

Meaning Now

• The condition of being a slave; the practice or system of owning human beings as property.
• The state of being entirely under the domination of some influence or person.

Journey

The term derives from the medieval ethnic designation of Slavic people. During the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire and various conflicts in the early Middle Ages, large numbers of Slavs were enslaved, leading the word 'Slav' (sclavus) to become synonymous with 'servile laborer' or 'bondsman' in Western European languages.

Evolution

1. 9th century (Proto-Slavic)

   *slověninъ

   “an ethnic name (Slav)”

   Original ethnic identity used to denote captives in late antiquity.

2. 11th century (Medieval Latin)

   sclavus

   “slave”

   Derived from the ethnonym; used in the context of the slave trade in Central/Eastern Europe.

3. 13th century (Old French)

   esclavage

   “the condition of being a slave”

4. 14th century (Middle English)

   slaverie

   “the state of bondage”

Connections

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