slavey

¹

[ sley-vee ]

noun

, British Informal: Older Use.

, plural slav·eys.

1. a female servant, especially a maid of all work in a boardinghouse.

Slavey

²

[ sley-vee ]

noun

, plural Slav·eys, (especially collectively) Slav·ey.

1. a member of a group of Athabascan-speaking First Nations living in the upper Mackenzie River valley region of the Northwest Territories and in parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon Territory.

Slavey

¹

/ ˈsleɪvɪ /

noun

1. a member of a Dene Native Canadian people of northern Canada

slavey

²

/ ˈsleɪvɪ /

noun

1. informal.
   a female general servant

Word History and Origins

Origin of slavey¹

First recorded in 1800–10; slave + -y ²

Origin of slavey²

First recorded in 1785–80; from French esclave, literally, “slave,” a loan translation of Cree awahkān “captive, slave” (the Cree would make raids on and enslave this Athabascan people); the two-syllable pronunciation is a local variant derived from a spelling with the French suffix -ais

Word History and Origins

Origin of slavey¹

from Athapascan

Origin of slavey²

C19: from slave + -y ²

Example Sentences

A bucolic slavey—a person whose cheerful simpleness is like to that of the little creatures of the field—attends you.

From Project Gutenberg

She is a young lady typical of the Cockney slavey type, dressed according to the ideas of her class as regards the perfect lady.

From Project Gutenberg

I hated the dismal little 'slavey' who, twice a week, on an average, would bring him up to me.

From Project Gutenberg

"My hye," exclaimed the slavey, who adored Herr Kreutzer and intensely worshiped Anna.

From Project Gutenberg

"No fault o' 'is, then," said the slavey quickly, voicing her earnest partisanship without a moment's wait.

From Project Gutenberg