How the word "Slav" became synonymous with "slave" in the Middle Ages

English word slave (slave) comes from the Latin word sclavus with the same meaning. But besides the English word, words from different language groups have the same origin:

German:

• Dutch: slaaf
• Swedish: slav
• Danish: slave
• Norwegian: slove
• Icelandic: besides "þræll" uses the borrowed word "slave"

 

Romance:

• English: slave
• Italian: schiavo
• French: esclave
• Spanish: esclavo
• Portuguese: escravo
• romanian: sclav

 

Greek: Σκλάβος (sklavos). Actually, that’s where it all started.

 

Arab: The Arabic word ṣaqāliba is also similar in sound.

 

And this despite the fact that the Romans originally used it in the meaning slave word servus. But from the 6th century it began to be supplanted by the word sclavusAnd it was this word that all the new European states that arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire, as well as Byzantium, began to use.

 

Why?

The thing is that the word sclavus The Romans had it before, but it meant exclusively... Slav.

Why the word Slav became the same as slave in early medieval Europe?

Because from the 6th century onwards, new Western European states began to regularly attack the scattered Slavic tribes. During these attacks and wars, Slavs were captured as slaves and taken all over the world. Slavic slaves were highly valued because of the physical strength of the men and the beauty of the women, who were made concubines.

The Slavic slave trade peaked in the 9th to 12th centuries. Historians believe that during this period, the Slavs were one of the largest ethnic groups subjected to enslavement and slave trade in Europe. This is supported by historical sources in both Europe and Muslim countries. Slavs were captured during military campaigns, raids, and sold in slave markets in various regions, including Byzantium, Islamic states, and the Christian kingdoms of Western Europe.

 

The main facts confirming the mass enslavement of the Slavs:

• Slave trade through Eastern Europe:

In the 9th–10th centuries, Slavic territories were subjected to regular raids by Vikings, nomads, and later by Crimean Tatars and other peoples. The Vikings, for example, actively captured Slavs and sold them in the slave markets of Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in the Middle East. Many Slavs were enslaved and sold to Byzantium and Islamic countries.

• Slave trade in Muslim countries:

In Islamic states such as the Abbasid Caliphate and Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), Slavic slaves were widely known as sakaaliba (ṣaqāliba). These slaves served in a variety of capacities, from working in the fields to serving in the army and administration. Some are known to have reached high positions, especially in al-Andalus.

• Byzantine sources:

Byzantine historians such as Procopius of Caesarea and John Malalas mention the Slavs in the context of wars and slavery. Byzantium actively used the Slavs as slaves and soldiers in its army. The Byzantines also captured Slavic tribes as a result of wars and sold them into slavery.

• The gradual replacement of the term "servus" by the word "sclavus":

In Latin, during this period, the traditional term for a slave was replaced "servus" on "sclavus", which is associated with the mass enslavement of the Slavs. This change demonstrates how significant the Slavs' contribution to the slave trade was and how closely they were associated with slavery in medieval Europe.

• The Slave Trade in Christian Europe:

There was a large network of slave trade in Christian Europe, and Slavs were also one of the key groups that became slaves. Slave traders sold Slavs mainly to Byzantium and Islamic countries, but also to Western European kingdoms. The slave trade flourished actively through cities such as Venice, Genoa, and other trading centers.

• Crimea and the Black Sea:

The Crimean Tatars were also active in the slave trade, capturing Slavs from regions of modern-day Ukraine and selling them in slave markets throughout Europe and the Middle East. Crimea was an important slave trade center, through which Slavs were sold to Islamic countries and further into Eastern Europe.

As a result of this mass enslavement of the Slavs, the term sclavus (in Latin) and its analogues in other European languages such as slave (English), esclave (French), esclavo (Spanish), schiavo (Italian), came to mean slaves in general, although initially this word referred specifically to the Slavs.

 

Another point of view

Although this theory of the origin of the Latin word slave is the main one among historians and linguists, there is a less common point of view that claims that the Slavic Slav and clavus are simply homophones, meaning they just happen to sound similar but have different meanings. 

The problem is that both words sclavus in Latin not only sound the same, they are also written the same, but mean the same thing slave, and Slav. And this theory does not explain why during the late Roman Empire the former word servus (slave) was supplanted by a new word sclavus. Why was it necessary to change the word? slave?

Theory of origin sclavus from Slav explains this by the regular campaigns to the East of the states that arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire. After all, in an amazing way, all the Romance and Germanic languages took for themselves as a word slave namely words that come from sclavus, and not from servusThere are words derived from servus, but they are used less frequently or have a meaning that is no longer slave, A servant or hired worker in the home (as in Italian).

Greek (from which the word comes) and even Arabic showed a surprising unity with the Romance and Germanic languages.

The Greek language did not have the combination "sl" at the beginning of a word, which is typical for Slavic languages. While the combination "sl" is easy to pronounce in Slavic languages, it was more difficult for the Greeks to pronounce it. In order to adapt the word to the peculiarities of their language, they added "k", and it became "Σκλάβος" (Sklavos), which became convenient for Greek pronunciation.

The Greek language often had the initial sounds "skl-" or "sfl-", which made it easier to adapt the borrowed word by inserting the sound "k". And then the Romans took this word for themselves.

The Arabs used the word "sakaaliba", which sounds similar to the Latin word and was used to describe the Slavs who served in the Muslim world - primarily slaves, soldiers, and even officials.

 

Word Slavs

The word itself Slavs has Slavic origin. That is, the Slavs themselves called themselves by this word.

Word: The most common version is that the word Slavs comes from the root "slov", that is, the Slavs called themselves "people of the word", that is, those who can understand and speak one language. This was contrasted with the surrounding peoples who spoke other, incomprehensible languages, and they were called "Germans" (from the word "mute", that is, a person who does not speak an understandable language).

Glory: WithIt is read that the etymology may relate to the ancient concept of glory or fame, implying that the Slavs called themselves a people of glory or honor.

Ethnography: nSome researchers suggest that the word Slavs may be related to specific geographic or ethnic characteristics, but this explanation has not received widespread support.

It turns out that the self-proclaimed people of their word And people of glory in Europe in the early Middle Ages were better known as slaves.

 

Why did the Slavs stop being captured into slavery?

• The adoption of Christianity by the Slavic peoples
• The emergence and strengthening of the Slavic states, including Kievan Rus
• Change of economic model in Europe (transition from slavery to feudalism)
• The Weakening of Byzantium and the Islamic World
• Crusades against Muslim countries
• Switching to slaves from Africa
• Mongol conquests in Europe

 

Moscow