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 The term is considered outdated today.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.
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In its literal meaning, 'Dienerin' (maidservant/female servant) is outdated today.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.
servant
'der Diener' and 'die Dienerin' are very closely related. Both describe a person who serves others, especially in a household or in older texts. The most important difference is gender: 'der Diener' is masculine, and 'die Dienerin' is feminine. Today, both words sound rather historical or literary when they refer to people in a household. In a figurative meaning, both can express that someone or something serves a cause. They can be confused mainly because of their similar form. Pay attention to the article and to whether a male or female person is meant.
In dem alten Roman arbeitet die Dienerin in der Küche des Schlosses.
In the old novel, the maidservant works in the castle kitchen.
Der Diener wartete im Flur, bis die Familie ihn rief.
The servant waited in the hallway until the family called him.