esne

[ez-nee, -ne]

(in Anglo-Saxon England) a member of the lowest class; laborer.

Origin of esne

before 950; < Old English; cognate with Old High German asni, Gothic asneis day laborer, harvester, akin to asans harvest

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Then to Esne to return the visit of my amiable friend, the governor; him of the flowers.
The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton
Mrs. Russell Barrington

Word Origin and History for esne

Old English esne "domestic slave," from Proto-Germanic *asnjoz- "harvestman" (cf. Gothic asneis), from *asanoz- "harvest" (see earn).