slave
Meaning
a person who is legally owned by another person and is forced to work for and obey them
a person who is completely dominated by a particular influence or person
to work very hard
Usage
the historical novel depicted the brutal conditions faced by a slave on a plantation.
he is a slave to fashion, always buying the latest trends.
she slaved over her thesis for months to meet the deadline.
Etymology
the word 'slave' has a dark and geographically specific origin. it derives from medieval latin 'sclavus', meaning 'slavonic captive', because during the early medieval period, many slavic peoples were conquered and enslaved. this term passed into old french as 'esclave' before entering middle english, gradually generalizing to refer to any person in bondage, regardless of ethnicity. the semantic evolution reflects a historical process where the name of an ethnic group became synonymous with servitude, a meaning that has entirely overshadowed its original geographic reference.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword. it entered english from old french 'esclave', which derived from medieval latin 'sclavus', meaning 'slav' or 'captive'. the functional role is that of a noun or verb.