þēow
masculine
The Old English word for slave is þēow. Wiktionary also lists þēo.
Meaning: person owned by another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old English | Note |
|---|---|
| þēow | masculine |
| þēo | masculine |
The term refers to a person who is owned by another.
Which one should you use?
The form þēow is used when referring to a masculine slave, while þēo is the form used for a feminine slave.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is þēow and the feminine form is þēo.
Did you know?
- In Old English legal texts, the status of a þēow was often tied to their 'wergild', or man-price. If a slave was killed, the compensation was paid to the owner rather than the slave's family.
- In Old English poetry, the term þēow is frequently used in 'kennings', or metaphorical compound words, to describe a person's relationship to a lord or a master.
- The spelling of þēow uses the letter þ, known as 'thorn', which represents the 'th' sound and has since disappeared from the English alphabet.
Examples in context
- Hē is gōd þēow.He is a good slave.
Example conversation
Osric and Æthelflæd are discussing the household staff.
- OsricHwǣr is se nīwa þēow?Where is the new slave?
- ÆthelflædHē is on þǣm felda.He is in the field.
- OsricIs hē gōd tō weorce?Is he good at work?
- ÆthelflædĠēa, hē is swīþe ġeornful.Yes, he is very diligent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slave” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
