abigailn.

Brit.

/ˈabᵻɡeɪl/, U.S.

/ˈæbəˌɡeɪl/

Forms: also with capital initial.

Origin: From a proper name. Etymon: proper name Abigail.

Etymology: < Abigail (Hebrew 'aḇīgayil), the name of a Carmelite woman, the wife of Nabal (and later of King David) in the Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures (1 Samuel 25:3 ff.), who impressed King David with her humility and helpfulness, putting herself in danger in order to be of service to him; in conversation with him, she frequently refers to herself as ‘thine handmaid’ (1 Samuel 25:24–31); probably popularized by its use as the name of a female servant in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Scornful Ladie (1616).

Now archaic and historical.

A lady's maid; a female servant or attendant.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > lady's maid

chamberlaina1400

waiting-maid1561

chambermaid1569

lady's maid1577

tire-woman1615

abigail1616

fille de chambre1673

suivante1674

comb-brush1702

tiring-woman1732

femme de chambre1741

lady's woman1748

personal maid1748

comb-brusher1751

ayah1782

wardrobe maid1797

soubrette1824

camerist1838

tire-maid1871

1616 Bp. W. Cowper Two Fruitfull Treat. ii. Ep. Ded. sig. L Through his grace yee haue beene an Abigail to that house, whereunto your God did bring you, that is, a mother to it.

1664 T. Killigrew Parsons Wedding ii. vi, in Comedies & Trag. 99 And ugly, her Abigail, she had her say too?

1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour iii. i. 22 Thou art some forsaken Abigail, we have dallied with heretofore.

1733 E. Phillips Mock Lawyer i. 19 A Coquet is the same Creature from a Coronet to an Abigail.

1771 T. Smollett Humphry Clinker I. 98 An antiquated Abigail, dressed in her lady's cast-clothes.

1784 W. Hayley Mausoleum iii. i, in Plays 415 To an Abigail's room did the old Bard repair?

1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage Adventures Gil Blas II. iv. vii. 153 An old abigail, whom I had formerly known as maid of all work to an actress?

1849 E. Bulwer-Lytton Caxtons III. xiv. vi. 41 The woman..was dressed with a quiet neatness, that seemed to stamp her profession as that of an abigail.

1864 Duke of Manchester Court & Society I. 81 Her house remained full of dons and pages, ladies and abigails.

1932 G. Heyer Devil's Cub xviii. 283 He asked warily whether her abigail was outside, with her baggage.

1987 J. Staynes & M. Storey Goodbye, Nanny Gray vi. 72 One door recess had been widened to allow one solid, oak, polished chair, in consideration for the abigail or footman who waited a life away..for the bell within.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	abigail
释义	abigailn. Brit. /ˈabᵻɡeɪl/, U.S. /ˈæbəˌɡeɪl/ Forms: also with capital initial. Origin: From a proper name. Etymon: proper name Abigail. Etymology: < Abigail (Hebrew 'aḇīgayil), the name of a Carmelite woman, the wife of Nabal (and later of King David) in the Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures (1 Samuel 25:3 ff.), who impressed King David with her humility and helpfulness, putting herself in danger in order to be of service to him; in conversation with him, she frequently refers to herself as ‘thine handmaid’ (1 Samuel 25:24–31); probably popularized by its use as the name of a female servant in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Scornful Ladie (1616). Now archaic and historical. A lady's maid; a female servant or attendant. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > service > servant > personal or domestic servant > attendant or personal servant > [noun] > lady's maid chamberlaina1400 waiting-maid1561 chambermaid1569 lady's maid1577 tire-woman1615 abigail1616 fille de chambre1673 suivante1674 comb-brush1702 tiring-woman1732 femme de chambre1741 lady's woman1748 personal maid1748 comb-brusher1751 ayah1782 wardrobe maid1797 soubrette1824 camerist1838 tire-maid1871 1616 Bp. W. Cowper Two Fruitfull Treat. ii. Ep. Ded. sig. L Through his grace yee haue beene an Abigail to that house, whereunto your God did bring you, that is, a mother to it. 1664 T. Killigrew Parsons Wedding ii. vi, in Comedies & Trag. 99 And ugly, her Abigail, she had her say too? 1693 W. Congreve Old Batchelour iii. i. 22 Thou art some forsaken Abigail, we have dallied with heretofore. 1733 E. Phillips Mock Lawyer i. 19 A Coquet is the same Creature from a Coronet to an Abigail. 1771 T. Smollett Humphry Clinker I. 98 An antiquated Abigail, dressed in her lady's cast-clothes. 1784 W. Hayley Mausoleum iii. i, in Plays 415 To an Abigail's room did the old Bard repair? 1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage Adventures Gil Blas II. iv. vii. 153 An old abigail, whom I had formerly known as maid of all work to an actress? 1849 E. Bulwer-Lytton Caxtons III. xiv. vi. 41 The woman..was dressed with a quiet neatness, that seemed to stamp her profession as that of an abigail. 1864 Duke of Manchester Court & Society I. 81 Her house remained full of dons and pages, ladies and abigails. 1932 G. Heyer Devil's Cub xviii. 283 He asked warily whether her abigail was outside, with her baggage. 1987 J. Staynes & M. Storey Goodbye, Nanny Gray vi. 72 One door recess had been widened to allow one solid, oak, polished chair, in consideration for the abigail or footman who waited a life away..for the bell within. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.1616
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