maid

See also: Maid and MAID

English

Etymology

From Middle English mayde, maide, abbreviation of Middle English maiden from Old English mæġden (Old English mǣden). Ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *magaþ, from Proto-Germanic *magaþs (“girl, virgin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meɪd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪd
• Homophone: made

Noun

maid (plural maids)

1. (dated or poetic) A girl or an unmarried young woman; maiden.

   Synonyms: damsel, maiden

2. A female servant or cleaner (short for maidservant).
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […] ; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.

3. (archaic) A virgin, now female but originally one of either gender.
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     You are betrothed both to a maid and man.

Usage notes

• In the sense of a girl or unmarried woman, the term is often used in the common (species) names of flowering plants.

Synonyms

• (female servant): ancilla, handmaiden, lady-in-waiting, maiden, maidservant, servingmaid, servingwoman, womanservant
• (female cleaner): chambermaid (in a hotel), charlady (in a house), charwoman (in a house), cleaning lady (in a house), cleaneress (rare term)

Derived terms

• bang maid
• barmaid
• best maid
• bondmaid
• bridemaid
• bridesmaid
• bride's maid
• chambermaid
• cookmaid
• dairymaid
• doormaid
• dwarfmaid
• elfmaid
• elle-maid
• evil maid attack
• fairmaid
• fancy maid
• French maid
• groomsmaid
• handmaid
• house-maid
• house maid
• housemaid
• kennelmaid
• kennel maid
• kitchenmaid
• lady's maid
• laundrymaid
• maid cafe
• maid café
• maid child
• maid-child
• maidhood
• maidie
• maid-in-waiting
• maidish
• maidkin
• maidless
• maidlike
• maidling
• maidly
• maidmarian
• maid-of-all-work
• maid of honor
• maid of honour
• maid of Kent
• maidservant
• maid-servant
• maid's hair
• maidy
• mermaid
• meter maid
• milkmaid
• nursemaid
• nurserymaid
• Old Maid
• Old Maid
• old-maidish
• old-maidism
• pantrymaid
• parlor maid
• parlormaid
• parlourmaid
• schoolmaid
• scullery maid
• scullery-maid
• seamaid
• servingmaid
• shield-maid
• shieldmaid
• shopmaid
• submaid
• tablemaid
• undermaid
• waiting maid
• wardsmaid
• washmaid

 

Translations

young female

• Arabic: فَتَاة f (fatāh)
• Armenian: օրիորդ (hy) (ōriord)
• Belarusian: дзе́ва f (dzjéva), дзяві́ца f (dzjavíca), дзяўчы́на f (dzjaŭčýna)
• Breton: merc'h (br) f, plac'h (br) f
• Bulgarian: мома́ (bg) f (momá), дево́йка (bg) f (devójka), деви́ца (bg) f (devíca)
• Catalan: donzella (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 少女 (zh) (shàonǚ)

• Cornish: maghteth
• Dutch: meisje (nl) n, meid (nl) f
• Esperanto: fraŭlino (eo)
• Finnish: neito (fi)
• French: demoiselle (fr) f, jeune fille (fr) f
• Galician: rapaza f, rapariga f, garela f, moza f, trondia f, garda (gl) f
• German: Mädchen (de) n
• Greek:

  Ancient: παιδίσκη f (paidískē)

• Hebrew: עַלְמָה (he) f ('almá)
• Hindi: लड़की (hi) f (laṛkī), कन्या (hi) f (kanyā)
• Ido: damzelo (io)
• Indonesian: gadis (id), perawan (id)
• Ingrian: neiti, piika
• Interlingua: senioretta
• Irish: cailín (ga) m, ainnir f, maighdean f
• Italian: signorina (it) f
• Japanese: 少女 (ja) (しょうじょ, shōjo)
• Korean: 소녀(少女) (ko) (sonyeo)
• Latin: puella (la) f
• Macedonian: де́војка (mk) f (dévojka), мо́ма (mk) f (móma)
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: дѣвица f (děvica), дѣва f (děva)

  Glagolitic: ⰴⱑⰲⰹⱌⰰ f (děvica), ⰴⱑⰲⰰ f (děva)

• Old East Slavic: дѣва f (děva), дѣвица f (děvica), дивица f (divica)
• Ottoman Turkish: بكر (bikr, bikir)
• Polish: panna (pl) f, dziewa (pl) f, dziewczyna (pl) f
• Portuguese: donzela (pt) f, moça (pt) f
• Romanian: fecioară (ro) f, fată (ro) f
• Russian: деви́ца (ru) f (devíca), де́ва (ru) f (déva), де́вушка (ru) f (dévuška)
• Scots: deem
• Scottish Gaelic: ainnir f, maighdeann (gd) f, rìbhinn (gd) f, òigh f, gruagach (gd) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: дева f, дјева f, девојка f, дјевојка f, мома f

  Roman: deva (sh) f, djeva (sh) f, devojka (sh) f, djevojka (sh) f, moma (sh)

• Spanish: doncella (es) f, señorita (es) f
• Swahili: wafanyikazi (sw)
• Swedish: mö (sv) c, jungfru (sv) c
• Telugu: కన్య (te) (kanya)
• Thai: สาว (th) (sǎao)
• Ukrainian: ді́ва f (díva), діви́ця f (divýcja), ді́вчина (uk) f (dívčyna), дівчи́на (uk) f (divčýna), ді́вка f (dívka)
• Urdu: لڑکی f (laṛkī)
• Welsh: merch (cy) f, geneth (cy) f, rhiain f, morwyn (cy) f
• Yiddish: מויד f (moyd), מיידל n (meydl)

female servant or cleaner

• Arabic: خَادِمَة f (ḵādima)
• Armenian: աղախին (hy) (aġaxin)
• Belarusian: пакаёўка f (pakajóŭka), служа́нка f (služánka), прыслу́жніца f (pryslúžnica)
• Bengali: চাকরানী (bn) (cakrani), দাসী (bn) (daśi)
• Bulgarian: дома́шна прислу́жница f (domášna prislúžnica), прислу́жница f (prislúžnica)
• Catalan: criada (ca) f, minyona (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 女僕／女仆 (zh) (nǚpú), 女傭／女佣 (zh) (nǚyòng), 傭婦／佣妇 (zh) (yōngfù), 侍女 (zh) (shìnǚ), 下女 (zh) (xiànǚ)

• Cimbrian: diinaren f
• Cornish: maghteth f
• Czech: pokojská (cs) f, služka (cs) f
• Danish: stuepige c
• Dutch: kamermeisje (nl) n
• Esperanto: ĉambristino, servistino
• Finnish: palvelustyttö (fi), piika (fi), palvelijatar (fi)
• French: bonne (fr) f, bonne à tout faire (fr) f, domestique (fr) f, servante (fr)
• Galician: doncela (gl) f
• German: Stubenmädchen (de) n
• Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌹 f (þiwi)
• Greek: καμαριέρα (el) f (kamariéra)

  Ancient: παιδίσκη f (paidískē)

• Hebrew: חַדְרָנִית f (ḥadranít)
• Hindi: नौकरानी (hi) f (naukrānī), दासी (hi) (dāsī), सेविका (hi) f (sevikā)
• Hungarian: szobalány (hu)
• Indonesian: pembantu (id), babu (id)
• Ingrian: piika, gornicnoi
• Interlingua: serviente
• Irish: cailín (ga) m
• Italian: cameriera (it) f
• Japanese: 女中 (ja) (じょちゅう, jochū), メイド (ja) (meido)
• Kabuverdianu: enpregada
• Kapampangan: ipus
• Korean: 하녀(下女) (ko) (hanyeo)
• Latin: ancilla f
• Macedonian: собарка f (sobarka)
• Maori: hāwini
• Marathi: बाई (mr) f (bāī), कामवाली बाई f (kāmvālī bāī)
• Northern Sami: biiga
• Norwegian: stuepike f
• Old English: wiln f
• Polish: pokojówka (pl) f, służąca (pl) f
• Portuguese: empregada (pt) f, servente (pt) f, doméstica (pt)
• Romanian: servitoare (ro) f, fată în casă (ro) f
• Russian: го́рничная (ru) f (górničnaja), служа́нка (ru) f (služánka)
• Scots: deem
• Scottish Gaelic: ban-òglach f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: слушкиња f, собарица f, служавка f

  Roman: sluškinja (sh) f, sobarica (sh) f, služavka (sh) f

• Slovak: slúžka f, chyžná f
• Slovene: služabnica f, služkinja f, sobarica (sl) f
• Spanish: (inoffensive terms) doméstica (es) f, empleada doméstica (es) f, muchacha de servicio f, asesora del hogar (es) f (Chile, formal usage), asistenta (es) f (Spain), mucama f (Argentina, Uruguay), nana (es) f (Chile), señora de servicio f (Venezuela), criada (es) f, sirvienta (es) f, cachifa (es) f (Venezuela), chacha (es) f (Mexico, Spain), cholera f (El Salvador, Guatemala), chopa (es) f (Dominican Republic), fregona (es) f (Spain), gata (es) f (Mexico), muca (es) f (Guatemala), nacha f (Honduras)
• Swahili: mfanyikazi (sw)
• Swedish: städerska (sv), husjungfru (sv) c
• Telugu: పనిపిల్ల (panipilla)
• Thai: สาวใช้ (sǎao-chái)
• Tocharian B: mañiya
• Tok Pisin: haus meri
• Ukrainian: покої́вка (uk) f (pokojívka), го́рнична f (hórnyčna), служни́ця f (služnýcja)
• Urdu: نوکرانی f (naukrānī)
• Vietnamese: đầy tớ gái, hầu gái (vi)
• Yiddish: מויד f (moyd), דינסטמויד f (dinstmoyd)

Anagrams

• Dima, Madi, aim'd, amid, diam, diam.

Cebuano

Etymology

From English maid, Middle English mayde, maide, abbreviation of maiden. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *magaþs (“maid, virgin”).

Noun

maid

1. a female servant or cleaner; a maidservant, a housemaid

   Synonyms: katabang, muchacha, mutsatsa

Estonian

Etymology 1

Noun

maid

1. partitive plural of maa

Etymology 2

Noun

maid

1. partitive singular of mai
2. nominative plural of mai

French

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English maid.

Noun

maid f (plural maids)

1. maid, especially in reference to Japanese fiction or in reference to the French maid outfit

   Synonyms: femme de ménage, soubrette

Ludian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *maito, possibly from Proto-Finno-Permic *majδ̕ɜ. Cognates include Finnish maito.

Noun

maid

1. milk

Northern Sami

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈmajt/

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adverb

maid

1. also, too

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[1], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronoun

maid

1. accusative/genitive plural of mii

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [maðʲ]

Verb

·maid

1. third-person singular present indicative conjunct of maidid

Adjective

maid

1. Alternative form of maith (“good”)

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
maid also mmaid after a proclitic ending in a vowel	maid pronounced with /β̃(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English maid.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmej.d͡ʒi/ [ˈmeɪ̯.d͡ʒi], /ˈmejd͡ʒ/ [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmej.d͡ʒi/ [ˈmeɪ̯.d͡ʒi], /ˈmejd͡ʒ/ [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmejd͡ʒ/ [ˈmeɪ̯d͡ʒ], /ˈmej.d͡ʒi/ [ˈmeɪ̯.d͡ʒi]

Noun

maid f (plural maids)

1. maid, especially in reference to Japanese fiction or in reference to the French maid outfit

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *maito, possibly from Proto-Finno-Permic *majδ̕ɜ. Cognates include Finnish maito.

Noun

maid

1. milk

Inflection

Inflection of maid (inflection type 1/ilo)
nominative sing.	maid
genitive sing.	maidon
partitive sing.	maidod
partitive plur.	maidoid
	singular	plural
nominative	maid	maidod
accusative	maidon	maidod
genitive	maidon	maidoiden
partitive	maidod	maidoid
essive-instructive	maidon	maidoin
translative	maidoks	maidoikš
inessive	maidos	maidoiš
elative	maidospäi	maidoišpäi
illative	maidoho	maidoihe
adessive	maidol	maidoil
ablative	maidolpäi	maidoilpäi
allative	maidole	maidoile
abessive	maidota	maidoita
comitative	maidonke	maidoidenke
prolative	maidodme	maidoidme
approximative I	maidonno	maidoidenno
approximative II	maidonnoks	maidoidennoks
egressive	maidonnopäi	maidoidennopäi
terminative I	maidohosai	maidoihesai
terminative II	maidolesai	maidoilesai
terminative III	maidossai	—
additive I	maidohopäi	maidoihepäi
additive II	maidolepäi	maidoilepäi

Derived terms

• hapanmaid
• pihtimaid
• rahtmaid
• maidnedal'

References

• Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “молоко”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[2], Petrozavodsk: Periodika