bondman

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: an enslaved man held in personal bondage

   The document records that the bondman was sold together with the estate's livestock.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: a male serf or other unfree laborer bound to serve a lord or work particular land

   The bondman owed labor on the lord's fields for several days each week.

From Middle English bond ("tenant farmer, serf") + man. That bond probably came from Old Norse bondi ("householder, farmer"). Under feudalism its social sense deteriorated from farmer to unfree tenant or slave and later became associated with the unrelated ideas of being bound and in bondage.

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