maidservant / servant
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maidservant
A woman employed in a household to do housework and serve the family. The term is considered outdated today.
In alten Filmen sieht man oft, wie eine Dienerin das Essen serviert.
In old films, you often see a maidservant serving the food.
servant
In a figurative, rarer sense, a person or thing that is subordinate to another or serves it.
Die Philosophie sollte eine freie Forschung sein und nicht nur eine Dienerin der Theologie.
Philosophy should be free inquiry and not merely a servant of theology.
The word is derived from the verb 'dienen' (to serve). The ending '-er' forms the male person ('der Diener' — the male servant), and the ending '-in' turns it into the feminine form 'die Dienerin' (the female servant).
Die alte Gräfin hatte einen Diener und eine Dienerin.
The old countess had a male servant and a maidservant.
The related verb 'dienen' (to serve) always requires the dative. You serve 'jemandem' (someone, dative). This grammatical relationship is also contained in the noun 'Dienerin' (female servant): she is a person who serves someone.
Ein guter König dient seinem Volk.
A good king serves his people.
In its literal meaning, 'Dienerin' (maidservant/female servant) is outdated today. You mainly find the word in historical novels, films, or stories about earlier times.
Im 19. Jahrhundert war es normal für reiche Familien, eine Dienerin zu haben.
In the 19th century, it was normal for rich families to have a maidservant.
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fact that 'Dienerin' (servant) is combined with an abstract concept, often with the genitive or the preposition 'von' (of). Typical examples are 'eine Dienerin der Wissenschaft' (a servant of science) or 'eine Dienerin der Gerechtigkeit' (a servant of justice).
Sie sah sich selbst als bescheidene Dienerin der Kunst.
She saw herself as a humble servant of art.
female slave
A Sklavin (female slave) is considered another person’s property, has no personal rights, and is forced to work. A Dienerin (maidservant) was employed to do work in a household; on its own, this now-outdated word does not imply such forced control.
Die Dienerin war für ihre Arbeit im Haushalt der Familie angestellt.
The maidservant was employed to work in the family’s household.
Die Sklavin musste ohne persönliche Rechte im Haushalt ihres Besitzers arbeiten.
The female slave had to work in her owner’s household without any personal rights.
