Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
theow. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
theow, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
theow in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
theow you have here. The definition of the word
theow will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
theow, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English theu, thewe (“servant; one bound in service to another, serf; disciple or servant of God; created being; servant of the devil; (figuratively) servant to sin, wealth, etc.”) ,[1] from Old English þēow, þēo (“servant; slave”) , from Proto-West Germanic *þeu (“slave”), from Proto-Germanic *þewaz, *þegwaz (“servant; slave”), from Proto-Indo-European *tekwos (“runner”), from Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ- (“to run; to flow”).[2]
Noun
theow (plural theows)
- (historical) A bondman or bondwoman; a slave.
- Synonym: thrall
References
- ^ “theu, n.(3)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ Compare “theow | thew, n. and adj.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021.