concubine

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a woman recognized as a man's sexual partner but given lower social or legal status than a wife

   The court record distinguished each concubine from the ruler's legally married wives.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: an enslaved or dependent woman kept for sexual access, especially within a royal or elite household

   The archive records that the captive woman was forced to serve as a concubine.

Simplified etymology

Concubine entered English in the Middle English period and ultimately derives from Latin cubare, “to lie down.” It originally referred to someone with whom one went to bed.

From Middle English and Anglo-Norman concubine, from Latin concubina, 'a woman who lies with a man,' based on concumbere, 'to lie together.' Historical systems varied widely, but the term usually marked a partner whose legal or social standing was below that of a wife.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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