▪ I. theow, thew, n. and a. Now only Hist. or arch.
Forms: α. 1 þeow (fem. þeowe, pl. þeowas), ðiow, 2–3 þeu, 3 þeou, (Orm.) þeoww, þeww, (9 theow(e). β. 1 þeowa (fem. þeowe, pl. þeowan), ðiowa, ðiuwa, ðiua, ðeua, ðea, 2–3 þeowe, 3 þeue, 4 þewe.
[OE. ð{iacu}ow, þéow, þéo, str. masc., = OHG. deo, dio, ON. (Runic) þewar, Goth. þius:—OTeut. *þewo{supz}; beside OE. þeow str. fem., = OS. thiu, thiwi, OHG., MHG. diu, ON. þ{yacu}, Goth. þiwi:—OTeut. *þewjô. Also weak ns. þéowa (masc.), þéowe (fem.); cf. OS. thiwa. þéowa, -e have the weak inflexion of the adj.]
A. n. A slave, bondman, thrall.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §22 Þa þeowan drincað medo. c 897 ― Gregory's Past. C. Pref. 4 Micel meniᵹu Godes ðeowa [Hatton MS. ðiowa]. a 950 Rituale Dunelm. (Surtees) 170 Besih ofer vsiᵹ ðea ðino [L. famulos tuos]. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. viii. 9 Ic cueðo..ðeua [Rushw. ðeow] minum do ðis & does. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xviii 28 Þa se þeowa [Hatton þeowe] ut-eode he ᵹemette hys efen⁓þeowan. Ibid. xx. 27 Sy he eower þeow [Lindisf. ðea vel ðeᵹn, Rushw. esne]. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 181 Ðus was adam þeu, þo godes muð cursede eorðe. c 1200 Ormin Introd. 31 Adam wass wurrþenn deofless þeoww. Ibid. 7454 An defless þeww. c 1205 Lay. 29390 Þenne moste he libben þeou a þisse londe. c 1320 Cast. Love 249 Þeuwe and þral may not craue Þorw riht non heritage to haue. |
| Hist. and arch. 1819 Scott Ivanhoe xxxii, Theow and Esne art thou no longer. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 75 Beneath these orders of freemen were the Theowes or slaves... This word ðeow seems to have left no trace in the modern languages. 1865 Lecky Ration. II. vi. 260 All the civil laws for the protection of the theows, or Saxon slaves, appear to have been preceded by, and based upon, the Canon law. 1874 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. v. 78 The theow or slave simple, whether wealh—that is, of British extraction..or of the common German stock. |
b. A female slave, a bondwoman.
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. xii. [ix.] (1890) 290 Seo fore⁓sprecene Cristes þeowe. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 69 An ðiua [Rushw. menen vel þeowæ] cueð. Ibid. Luke xii. 45 ᵹife..esne..onginneð..slaa ða cnæhtas & ðiuwas [Rushw. ða ðiowe, Vulg. pueros et ancillas]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. xii. (Tollem. MS.), Sche is þewe and þralle er he be bore. |
† B. adj. [OE. þéow, pl. þéowe; later pl. þewe, thue.] Servile, slavish; ‘bond’. Obs.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xli. §2 ᵹif him sceolden þiowe men þenian. c 893 ― Oros. iii. vi. §3 Hit þurh ænne þeowne mon ᵹeypped wearð. c 1000 ælfric Gram. ix. (Z.) 67 Hic manceps, þes ðeowa mann. Ibid. xv. 101 Meis mancipiis diuido denarios, minum ðeowum mannum ic dæle peneᵹas. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. xxxix. (Napier) 181 Þeowemen þa ðriᵹ daᵹas beon weorces ᵹefreode. c 1205 Lay. 334 Al heo weren þeowe [c 1275 þeue]. a 1225 St. Marher. 4 Cuð me..ȝef þu art foster of freo monne oðer þeow wummon. c 1290 Beket 279 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 114 Þat word was sone wide couth a-mong þeuwe and freo. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 9657 Þuman ne may nowȝt be imad aȝen is louerdes wille fre. c 1300 Havelok 2205 Alle samen, þeu and fre. c 1400 St. Alexius (Laud 463) 2 Ȝong & olde, thewe & freo. |
▪ II. † theow, thew, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 þeowian, 1–2 þewian, 2 þowie, þeowien, 3 þiwien.
[OE. þéowian, f. þéow, theow n.]
trans. To be a serf or servant to; to serve, minister. (In OE. intr. with dat., or absol.)
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxi. §1 Þa ðeowiað ealle þa þe ðeowiað, ᵹe ða þe cunnon ᵹe þa þe ne cunnon. Ibid. xxxix. §13 Hi ne mihton elles bion, ᵹif hi ne ðiowedon hiora fruman. c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. iv. 10 To dryhtne þinum gode ðu to ᵹebidde & him anum ðewiᵹe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvi. 13 Ne mæᵹ nan þeow twam hlafordum þeowian [c 1160 Hatton G. þewian]. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 241 Nan ne mai twan hlaforde..samod þowie. c 1205 Lay. 10015 Heo him wolden þiwien [c 1275 be þeouwe]. |