thrall

Where does the word "thrall" come from? It comes from Old Norse thraell, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Thrall’s story begins in Old Norse: thraell meant “a slave, a bondsman.” A slave, a bondsman, someone in servitude. It reached English by 1200s as thrall. Settled as the English word for a person in bondage, later a figurative captivation. Today, thrall means a state of being completely captivated or enslaved by something.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval thraell "a slave, a bondsman", a slave, a bondsman, someone in servitude.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s thrall "a state of servitude, or being captivated by something", settled as the English word for a person in bondage, later a figurative captivation.