Handmaid

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhændˌmeɪd/

Definitions

1. A woman employed in a role that denotes servitude and assistance, frequently within a household, while also embodying a position of subordination to another individual's authority
2. A female individual serving in a subordinate capacity, often responsible for personal duties, and characterized by a role that requires obedience and support to a higher authority
3. A woman who serves another person, typically performing domestic or personal tasks in a subordinate role

Etymology: The word is a compound of "hand" and "maid", and the first part is the surprise: here "hand" carries the sense of "ready at hand", meaning close by and available for use. A handmaid was, in other words, a maid kept within reach, someone who was always at one's elbow rather than a servant defined by any particular task. The compound is inherited from Middle English, where it appeared in a range of spellings, including "handemayde" and "hand-maide", before settling into its modern form. Its earlier history lies in the older pairing of the two words, so the compound itself is English in construction rather than borrowed from another language. Over time the sense narrowed from a general attendant to a woman in servitude, and the phrase came to carry an implication of subordination to someone else's authority. The word's easy familiarity today owes much to its use in the Bible, where handmaids appear as women serving a household or a mistress.

Synonyms: servant, maid, attendant, helper, assistant

Antonyms: master, lord, employer, mistress, noble