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What's the correct term for a waitress in the Middle Ages?


Were there inns and hostels in medieval Europe?Middle east and North africa population during the high middle agesHow did families parent in the Middle Ages?Sieges: Average Attacker to Defender Ratio in Middle AgesWhat did people of the middles ages call their period?What did men wear at night in the Middle Ages in Europe?Name for a position in a noble household in the medieval period (c.13-14)Was it possible to organize a women's uprising or feminist movement in the Middle Ages?What's the point of fortified castles inside fortified cities?How did women give birth in middle ages?Did men and women feast together in the early Middle Ages?













19















How was a waitress called in the Middle Ages? Handmaid, waitress, maid, ...? And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?










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  • 28





    Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 30 at 20:13






  • 11





    @MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

    – iPherian
    May 31 at 5:12






  • 20





    But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 31 at 8:32






  • 5





    @MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 8:41






  • 15





    @MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:24
















19















How was a waitress called in the Middle Ages? Handmaid, waitress, maid, ...? And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?










share|improve this question







New contributor



timtos is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.














  • 28





    Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 30 at 20:13






  • 11





    @MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

    – iPherian
    May 31 at 5:12






  • 20





    But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 31 at 8:32






  • 5





    @MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 8:41






  • 15





    @MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:24














19












19








19


3






How was a waitress called in the Middle Ages? Handmaid, waitress, maid, ...? And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?










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How was a waitress called in the Middle Ages? Handmaid, waitress, maid, ...? And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?







middle-ages europe women






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asked May 30 at 19:31









timtostimtos

19816




19816




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  • 28





    Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 30 at 20:13






  • 11





    @MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

    – iPherian
    May 31 at 5:12






  • 20





    But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 31 at 8:32






  • 5





    @MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 8:41






  • 15





    @MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:24













  • 28





    Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 30 at 20:13






  • 11





    @MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

    – iPherian
    May 31 at 5:12






  • 20





    But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

    – Mark C. Wallace
    May 31 at 8:32






  • 5





    @MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 8:41






  • 15





    @MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:24








28




28





Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

– Mark C. Wallace
May 30 at 20:13





Is there any evidence that waitresses existed in the middle ages? And in which country?

– Mark C. Wallace
May 30 at 20:13




11




11





@MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

– iPherian
May 31 at 5:12





@MarkC.Wallace Well, someone served the food.

– iPherian
May 31 at 5:12




20




20





But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

– Mark C. Wallace
May 31 at 8:32





But if there were no commercial establishments, then the person who served teh food was a wife or household servant. "waitress" only has meaning in a commercial establishment. Although there has been some recent revision, my memory estimates that less than 1% of the population traveled and probably 90% of them would stay in the homes of friends.

– Mark C. Wallace
May 31 at 8:32




5




5





@MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

– user28434
May 31 at 8:41





@MarkC.Wallace, agree in general, but I bet there were some kind of pubs for the locals in most of the places. Just to gather around and socialize.

– user28434
May 31 at 8:41




15




15





@MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

– Chronocidal
May 31 at 9:24






@MarkC.Wallace There were Inns, where travellers would stop to rest their horses (or, in some cases, change horses) and you could rent a room for the night and buy food to eat. For example, the Cott Inn in Cott, Dartington, Devon, England, dates from 1320 (i.e. late medieval), but Inns have existed since Roman times.

– Chronocidal
May 31 at 9:24











5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















24














From the top of my head, I remember the word wench, which originally meant girl, then a servant, and later also a prostitute, which is likely why it went out of use for waitresses.



Here’s a somewhat confirming article from 1988. (If link is blocked for you, use Wayback Machine copy.) It describes the job of a wench at Medieval Times, a “dinner theater” which still exists (Wikipedia, Official site). So, even if it’s a misconception, the idea that medieval waitresses were called wenches at least exists in modern mass conscience.






share|improve this answer




















  • 10





    Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

    – LangLangC
    May 31 at 8:57






  • 9





    @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:31






  • 7





    Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 12:12






  • 1





    @LangLangC I added a description.

    – Neith
    May 31 at 12:20






  • 8





    OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

    – Luke Sawczak
    May 31 at 13:27



















25















[What] was a waitress called in the Middle Ages?




In Europe, they didn't exist as a recognized occupation.




And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?




At a castle, the servants in the great hall would simply be servants (pre-Conquest, þrǣl, ancilla, &c.; post-Conquest, servaunt, bond-womman, ancille, natif, &c.) and the traditional breakdown of roles concerned production and maintenance, not presentation. A large enough household would have separate departments for the table linen (napery), drinking vessels (ewery), alcohol (buttery), lighting (chandlery), &c. and various aspects of the food (larder, spicery, saucery, &c.). The guys who carried the food to the table from whatever department were just "bearers" (ber(e)-man and ber-knight). In Middle English, "waiter" meant "watchman".



Pubs don't seem to be attested between the Romans and the late 10th century, when there were enough ealahuses to show up in Æthelred the Unready's legal code. Breweries aren't attested as professional before the Central European monasteries in the 11th century. Inns were few and far between, with most travelers obliged to seek hospitality from the churches & monasteries.



If women were doing the serving instead of the men, especially if they were hired help or servants instead of daughters, their morals would've been highly suspect. Cleaning their depravity up would've fallen on the local lord; some, like the bishops of Winchester, were content to let 'single women' serve men to prevent more unnatural sins like masturbation and to skim the girls' earnings.



In any case, there wasn't a specialist term for "waitress", although you could coin "bearwoman" and "bearmaid". Instead, they would've used one of twenty-odd words for "hey you girl" (e.g., wench, maide, therne, shelcherne, &c.) or "servant woman" (e.g., ancille, slutte, malkin, ber-wif, &c.) or some local slang like the "Winchester geese" who worked in the bishops' "stews".






share|improve this answer


















  • 3





    This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

    – vsz
    May 31 at 19:01











  • "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

    – TheHonRose
    Jun 2 at 12:45











  • @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

    – lly
    2 days ago



















2














The question does not specify the language, so... at least to refute the highly accepted answer there were no such establishments in the Middle Ages.



Old Czech word hospoda or hostinicě - German Obdach, Herberge, Wirtshaus - Latin hospitium - inn, pub
šenk, krčma - German Schenke, Wirtshaus - Latin caupona - rather a place to drink than to sleep



for the proffession:



šenk - from German Schenk, Mundschenk, Hofschenk - a cup bearer - , it was an office, the King of Bohemia was the Erzmundschenk, the Cup-bearer of the Emperor of the Holy-roman empire



the personal of normal inns or pubs:

masc. krčmář, fem. krčmářka or

masc. šenkéř, fem. šenkéřka, obviously from German Schenkwirt, not an office but a proffession, it may be the owner, his wife or an employee






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    0














    An English popular song (printed in the 16th century but no doubt earlier than that) gives one politically incorrect answer:



    He that will an alehouse keep
    Must have three things in store;
    A chamber and a feather bed
    A chimney and a... hey nonny nonny no...


    "Wench" is the wrong 5-letter word beginning with "w" here :)



    Scan of a published version in 1611: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/melismata/mel33small.html






    share|improve this answer




















    • 3





      I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

      – Neith
      May 31 at 15:03











    • Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

      – lly
      May 31 at 15:04






    • 2





      The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

      – alephzero
      May 31 at 15:22







    • 1





      @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

      – Vladimir F
      2 days ago


















    -2














    You could try "Pot Girl".



    From https://www.yourdictionary.com/pot-girl.



    "A girl who works serving customers in an inn or public house".






    share|improve this answer


















    • 4





      When was that used? In what country?

      – Mark C. Wallace
      May 31 at 9:01






    • 2





      Certainty British

      – Mawg
      May 31 at 9:45






    • 5





      The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

      – sempaiscuba
      May 31 at 11:55






    • 2





      Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

      – lly
      May 31 at 14:59











    • A pot girl washes pots.

      – Richard
      May 31 at 21:33











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    5 Answers
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    5 Answers
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    active

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    24














    From the top of my head, I remember the word wench, which originally meant girl, then a servant, and later also a prostitute, which is likely why it went out of use for waitresses.



    Here’s a somewhat confirming article from 1988. (If link is blocked for you, use Wayback Machine copy.) It describes the job of a wench at Medieval Times, a “dinner theater” which still exists (Wikipedia, Official site). So, even if it’s a misconception, the idea that medieval waitresses were called wenches at least exists in modern mass conscience.






    share|improve this answer




















    • 10





      Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

      – LangLangC
      May 31 at 8:57






    • 9





      @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

      – Chronocidal
      May 31 at 9:31






    • 7





      Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

      – user28434
      May 31 at 12:12






    • 1





      @LangLangC I added a description.

      – Neith
      May 31 at 12:20






    • 8





      OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

      – Luke Sawczak
      May 31 at 13:27
















    24














    From the top of my head, I remember the word wench, which originally meant girl, then a servant, and later also a prostitute, which is likely why it went out of use for waitresses.



    Here’s a somewhat confirming article from 1988. (If link is blocked for you, use Wayback Machine copy.) It describes the job of a wench at Medieval Times, a “dinner theater” which still exists (Wikipedia, Official site). So, even if it’s a misconception, the idea that medieval waitresses were called wenches at least exists in modern mass conscience.






    share|improve this answer




















    • 10





      Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

      – LangLangC
      May 31 at 8:57






    • 9





      @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

      – Chronocidal
      May 31 at 9:31






    • 7





      Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

      – user28434
      May 31 at 12:12






    • 1





      @LangLangC I added a description.

      – Neith
      May 31 at 12:20






    • 8





      OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

      – Luke Sawczak
      May 31 at 13:27














    24












    24








    24







    From the top of my head, I remember the word wench, which originally meant girl, then a servant, and later also a prostitute, which is likely why it went out of use for waitresses.



    Here’s a somewhat confirming article from 1988. (If link is blocked for you, use Wayback Machine copy.) It describes the job of a wench at Medieval Times, a “dinner theater” which still exists (Wikipedia, Official site). So, even if it’s a misconception, the idea that medieval waitresses were called wenches at least exists in modern mass conscience.






    share|improve this answer















    From the top of my head, I remember the word wench, which originally meant girl, then a servant, and later also a prostitute, which is likely why it went out of use for waitresses.



    Here’s a somewhat confirming article from 1988. (If link is blocked for you, use Wayback Machine copy.) It describes the job of a wench at Medieval Times, a “dinner theater” which still exists (Wikipedia, Official site). So, even if it’s a misconception, the idea that medieval waitresses were called wenches at least exists in modern mass conscience.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Jun 1 at 16:52

























    answered May 30 at 20:12









    NeithNeith

    65329




    65329







    • 10





      Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

      – LangLangC
      May 31 at 8:57






    • 9





      @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

      – Chronocidal
      May 31 at 9:31






    • 7





      Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

      – user28434
      May 31 at 12:12






    • 1





      @LangLangC I added a description.

      – Neith
      May 31 at 12:20






    • 8





      OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

      – Luke Sawczak
      May 31 at 13:27













    • 10





      Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

      – LangLangC
      May 31 at 8:57






    • 9





      @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

      – Chronocidal
      May 31 at 9:31






    • 7





      Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

      – user28434
      May 31 at 12:12






    • 1





      @LangLangC I added a description.

      – Neith
      May 31 at 12:20






    • 8





      OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

      – Luke Sawczak
      May 31 at 13:27








    10




    10





    Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

    – LangLangC
    May 31 at 8:57





    Is 'wench' really confirmed to be in use in medieval England? This 'conforming article' is link only and already broken, in this case geo-blocked. Please quote the most relevant parts here.

    – LangLangC
    May 31 at 8:57




    9




    9





    @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:31





    @LangLangC While not a medieval example, the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney used it in one of his poems a mere 100 years later: "I, like a tẽder harted wench, shriked out for feare of the divell.", or Shakespeare in "Alls Well that Ends Well" (Act IV, sc. 3): "he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk" in 1604

    – Chronocidal
    May 31 at 9:31




    7




    7





    Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 12:12





    Most likely, original "waitresses" were just children of the owner, so, probably, in every language it would be something like usual word for girl or boy at that era.

    – user28434
    May 31 at 12:12




    1




    1





    @LangLangC I added a description.

    – Neith
    May 31 at 12:20





    @LangLangC I added a description.

    – Neith
    May 31 at 12:20




    8




    8





    OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

    – Luke Sawczak
    May 31 at 13:27






    OED has "wench" in the sense of "girl" from 1290, expanding to "serving-maid" from 1380, so it's plausible. Either way, the term certainly does exist in "modern mass conscience", though it has an almost humorous, parody-like quality now...

    – Luke Sawczak
    May 31 at 13:27












    25















    [What] was a waitress called in the Middle Ages?




    In Europe, they didn't exist as a recognized occupation.




    And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?




    At a castle, the servants in the great hall would simply be servants (pre-Conquest, þrǣl, ancilla, &c.; post-Conquest, servaunt, bond-womman, ancille, natif, &c.) and the traditional breakdown of roles concerned production and maintenance, not presentation. A large enough household would have separate departments for the table linen (napery), drinking vessels (ewery), alcohol (buttery), lighting (chandlery), &c. and various aspects of the food (larder, spicery, saucery, &c.). The guys who carried the food to the table from whatever department were just "bearers" (ber(e)-man and ber-knight). In Middle English, "waiter" meant "watchman".



    Pubs don't seem to be attested between the Romans and the late 10th century, when there were enough ealahuses to show up in Æthelred the Unready's legal code. Breweries aren't attested as professional before the Central European monasteries in the 11th century. Inns were few and far between, with most travelers obliged to seek hospitality from the churches & monasteries.



    If women were doing the serving instead of the men, especially if they were hired help or servants instead of daughters, their morals would've been highly suspect. Cleaning their depravity up would've fallen on the local lord; some, like the bishops of Winchester, were content to let 'single women' serve men to prevent more unnatural sins like masturbation and to skim the girls' earnings.



    In any case, there wasn't a specialist term for "waitress", although you could coin "bearwoman" and "bearmaid". Instead, they would've used one of twenty-odd words for "hey you girl" (e.g., wench, maide, therne, shelcherne, &c.) or "servant woman" (e.g., ancille, slutte, malkin, ber-wif, &c.) or some local slang like the "Winchester geese" who worked in the bishops' "stews".






    share|improve this answer


















    • 3





      This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

      – vsz
      May 31 at 19:01











    • "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

      – TheHonRose
      Jun 2 at 12:45











    • @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

      – lly
      2 days ago
















    25















    [What] was a waitress called in the Middle Ages?




    In Europe, they didn't exist as a recognized occupation.




    And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?




    At a castle, the servants in the great hall would simply be servants (pre-Conquest, þrǣl, ancilla, &c.; post-Conquest, servaunt, bond-womman, ancille, natif, &c.) and the traditional breakdown of roles concerned production and maintenance, not presentation. A large enough household would have separate departments for the table linen (napery), drinking vessels (ewery), alcohol (buttery), lighting (chandlery), &c. and various aspects of the food (larder, spicery, saucery, &c.). The guys who carried the food to the table from whatever department were just "bearers" (ber(e)-man and ber-knight). In Middle English, "waiter" meant "watchman".



    Pubs don't seem to be attested between the Romans and the late 10th century, when there were enough ealahuses to show up in Æthelred the Unready's legal code. Breweries aren't attested as professional before the Central European monasteries in the 11th century. Inns were few and far between, with most travelers obliged to seek hospitality from the churches & monasteries.



    If women were doing the serving instead of the men, especially if they were hired help or servants instead of daughters, their morals would've been highly suspect. Cleaning their depravity up would've fallen on the local lord; some, like the bishops of Winchester, were content to let 'single women' serve men to prevent more unnatural sins like masturbation and to skim the girls' earnings.



    In any case, there wasn't a specialist term for "waitress", although you could coin "bearwoman" and "bearmaid". Instead, they would've used one of twenty-odd words for "hey you girl" (e.g., wench, maide, therne, shelcherne, &c.) or "servant woman" (e.g., ancille, slutte, malkin, ber-wif, &c.) or some local slang like the "Winchester geese" who worked in the bishops' "stews".






    share|improve this answer


















    • 3





      This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

      – vsz
      May 31 at 19:01











    • "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

      – TheHonRose
      Jun 2 at 12:45











    • @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

      – lly
      2 days ago














    25












    25








    25








    [What] was a waitress called in the Middle Ages?




    In Europe, they didn't exist as a recognized occupation.




    And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?




    At a castle, the servants in the great hall would simply be servants (pre-Conquest, þrǣl, ancilla, &c.; post-Conquest, servaunt, bond-womman, ancille, natif, &c.) and the traditional breakdown of roles concerned production and maintenance, not presentation. A large enough household would have separate departments for the table linen (napery), drinking vessels (ewery), alcohol (buttery), lighting (chandlery), &c. and various aspects of the food (larder, spicery, saucery, &c.). The guys who carried the food to the table from whatever department were just "bearers" (ber(e)-man and ber-knight). In Middle English, "waiter" meant "watchman".



    Pubs don't seem to be attested between the Romans and the late 10th century, when there were enough ealahuses to show up in Æthelred the Unready's legal code. Breweries aren't attested as professional before the Central European monasteries in the 11th century. Inns were few and far between, with most travelers obliged to seek hospitality from the churches & monasteries.



    If women were doing the serving instead of the men, especially if they were hired help or servants instead of daughters, their morals would've been highly suspect. Cleaning their depravity up would've fallen on the local lord; some, like the bishops of Winchester, were content to let 'single women' serve men to prevent more unnatural sins like masturbation and to skim the girls' earnings.



    In any case, there wasn't a specialist term for "waitress", although you could coin "bearwoman" and "bearmaid". Instead, they would've used one of twenty-odd words for "hey you girl" (e.g., wench, maide, therne, shelcherne, &c.) or "servant woman" (e.g., ancille, slutte, malkin, ber-wif, &c.) or some local slang like the "Winchester geese" who worked in the bishops' "stews".






    share|improve this answer














    [What] was a waitress called in the Middle Ages?




    In Europe, they didn't exist as a recognized occupation.




    And is there a different name for the ones who did this kind of job inside a castle, in contrast to the women doing this kind of job in, for example, a tavern?




    At a castle, the servants in the great hall would simply be servants (pre-Conquest, þrǣl, ancilla, &c.; post-Conquest, servaunt, bond-womman, ancille, natif, &c.) and the traditional breakdown of roles concerned production and maintenance, not presentation. A large enough household would have separate departments for the table linen (napery), drinking vessels (ewery), alcohol (buttery), lighting (chandlery), &c. and various aspects of the food (larder, spicery, saucery, &c.). The guys who carried the food to the table from whatever department were just "bearers" (ber(e)-man and ber-knight). In Middle English, "waiter" meant "watchman".



    Pubs don't seem to be attested between the Romans and the late 10th century, when there were enough ealahuses to show up in Æthelred the Unready's legal code. Breweries aren't attested as professional before the Central European monasteries in the 11th century. Inns were few and far between, with most travelers obliged to seek hospitality from the churches & monasteries.



    If women were doing the serving instead of the men, especially if they were hired help or servants instead of daughters, their morals would've been highly suspect. Cleaning their depravity up would've fallen on the local lord; some, like the bishops of Winchester, were content to let 'single women' serve men to prevent more unnatural sins like masturbation and to skim the girls' earnings.



    In any case, there wasn't a specialist term for "waitress", although you could coin "bearwoman" and "bearmaid". Instead, they would've used one of twenty-odd words for "hey you girl" (e.g., wench, maide, therne, shelcherne, &c.) or "servant woman" (e.g., ancille, slutte, malkin, ber-wif, &c.) or some local slang like the "Winchester geese" who worked in the bishops' "stews".







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered May 31 at 16:34









    llylly

    1,190511




    1,190511







    • 3





      This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

      – vsz
      May 31 at 19:01











    • "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

      – TheHonRose
      Jun 2 at 12:45











    • @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

      – lly
      2 days ago













    • 3





      This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

      – vsz
      May 31 at 19:01











    • "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

      – TheHonRose
      Jun 2 at 12:45











    • @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

      – lly
      2 days ago








    3




    3





    This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

    – vsz
    May 31 at 19:01





    This answer ends the Middle Ages in the 11th century, it lasted much more than that. There were certainly more travelers in the 14th-15th centuries than in the 11th, and therefore more inns.

    – vsz
    May 31 at 19:01













    "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

    – TheHonRose
    Jun 2 at 12:45





    "Winchester geese" were prostitutes, not serving women.

    – TheHonRose
    Jun 2 at 12:45













    @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

    – lly
    2 days ago






    @vsz Mentioning that the entire industry didn't properly exist before the 11th century doesn't limit the era and words for servants in Middle English are mentioned and usages are available via link. When you've got a bit, swot up on your reading comprehension.

    – lly
    2 days ago












    2














    The question does not specify the language, so... at least to refute the highly accepted answer there were no such establishments in the Middle Ages.



    Old Czech word hospoda or hostinicě - German Obdach, Herberge, Wirtshaus - Latin hospitium - inn, pub
    šenk, krčma - German Schenke, Wirtshaus - Latin caupona - rather a place to drink than to sleep



    for the proffession:



    šenk - from German Schenk, Mundschenk, Hofschenk - a cup bearer - , it was an office, the King of Bohemia was the Erzmundschenk, the Cup-bearer of the Emperor of the Holy-roman empire



    the personal of normal inns or pubs:

    masc. krčmář, fem. krčmářka or

    masc. šenkéř, fem. šenkéřka, obviously from German Schenkwirt, not an office but a proffession, it may be the owner, his wife or an employee






    share|improve this answer










    New contributor



    Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.























      2














      The question does not specify the language, so... at least to refute the highly accepted answer there were no such establishments in the Middle Ages.



      Old Czech word hospoda or hostinicě - German Obdach, Herberge, Wirtshaus - Latin hospitium - inn, pub
      šenk, krčma - German Schenke, Wirtshaus - Latin caupona - rather a place to drink than to sleep



      for the proffession:



      šenk - from German Schenk, Mundschenk, Hofschenk - a cup bearer - , it was an office, the King of Bohemia was the Erzmundschenk, the Cup-bearer of the Emperor of the Holy-roman empire



      the personal of normal inns or pubs:

      masc. krčmář, fem. krčmářka or

      masc. šenkéř, fem. šenkéřka, obviously from German Schenkwirt, not an office but a proffession, it may be the owner, his wife or an employee






      share|improve this answer










      New contributor



      Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.





















        2












        2








        2







        The question does not specify the language, so... at least to refute the highly accepted answer there were no such establishments in the Middle Ages.



        Old Czech word hospoda or hostinicě - German Obdach, Herberge, Wirtshaus - Latin hospitium - inn, pub
        šenk, krčma - German Schenke, Wirtshaus - Latin caupona - rather a place to drink than to sleep



        for the proffession:



        šenk - from German Schenk, Mundschenk, Hofschenk - a cup bearer - , it was an office, the King of Bohemia was the Erzmundschenk, the Cup-bearer of the Emperor of the Holy-roman empire



        the personal of normal inns or pubs:

        masc. krčmář, fem. krčmářka or

        masc. šenkéř, fem. šenkéřka, obviously from German Schenkwirt, not an office but a proffession, it may be the owner, his wife or an employee






        share|improve this answer










        New contributor



        Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        The question does not specify the language, so... at least to refute the highly accepted answer there were no such establishments in the Middle Ages.



        Old Czech word hospoda or hostinicě - German Obdach, Herberge, Wirtshaus - Latin hospitium - inn, pub
        šenk, krčma - German Schenke, Wirtshaus - Latin caupona - rather a place to drink than to sleep



        for the proffession:



        šenk - from German Schenk, Mundschenk, Hofschenk - a cup bearer - , it was an office, the King of Bohemia was the Erzmundschenk, the Cup-bearer of the Emperor of the Holy-roman empire



        the personal of normal inns or pubs:

        masc. krčmář, fem. krčmářka or

        masc. šenkéř, fem. šenkéřka, obviously from German Schenkwirt, not an office but a proffession, it may be the owner, his wife or an employee







        share|improve this answer










        New contributor



        Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.








        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Jun 2 at 9:03





















        New contributor



        Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.








        answered Jun 2 at 8:57









        Vladimir FVladimir F

        1215




        1215




        New contributor



        Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.




        New contributor




        Vladimir F is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.























            0














            An English popular song (printed in the 16th century but no doubt earlier than that) gives one politically incorrect answer:



            He that will an alehouse keep
            Must have three things in store;
            A chamber and a feather bed
            A chimney and a... hey nonny nonny no...


            "Wench" is the wrong 5-letter word beginning with "w" here :)



            Scan of a published version in 1611: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/melismata/mel33small.html






            share|improve this answer




















            • 3





              I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

              – Neith
              May 31 at 15:03











            • Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

              – lly
              May 31 at 15:04






            • 2





              The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

              – alephzero
              May 31 at 15:22







            • 1





              @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

              – Vladimir F
              2 days ago















            0














            An English popular song (printed in the 16th century but no doubt earlier than that) gives one politically incorrect answer:



            He that will an alehouse keep
            Must have three things in store;
            A chamber and a feather bed
            A chimney and a... hey nonny nonny no...


            "Wench" is the wrong 5-letter word beginning with "w" here :)



            Scan of a published version in 1611: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/melismata/mel33small.html






            share|improve this answer




















            • 3





              I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

              – Neith
              May 31 at 15:03











            • Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

              – lly
              May 31 at 15:04






            • 2





              The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

              – alephzero
              May 31 at 15:22







            • 1





              @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

              – Vladimir F
              2 days ago













            0












            0








            0







            An English popular song (printed in the 16th century but no doubt earlier than that) gives one politically incorrect answer:



            He that will an alehouse keep
            Must have three things in store;
            A chamber and a feather bed
            A chimney and a... hey nonny nonny no...


            "Wench" is the wrong 5-letter word beginning with "w" here :)



            Scan of a published version in 1611: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/melismata/mel33small.html






            share|improve this answer















            An English popular song (printed in the 16th century but no doubt earlier than that) gives one politically incorrect answer:



            He that will an alehouse keep
            Must have three things in store;
            A chamber and a feather bed
            A chimney and a... hey nonny nonny no...


            "Wench" is the wrong 5-letter word beginning with "w" here :)



            Scan of a published version in 1611: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/melismata/mel33small.html







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited May 31 at 15:09

























            answered May 31 at 15:00









            alephzeroalephzero

            1354




            1354







            • 3





              I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

              – Neith
              May 31 at 15:03











            • Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

              – lly
              May 31 at 15:04






            • 2





              The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

              – alephzero
              May 31 at 15:22







            • 1





              @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

              – Vladimir F
              2 days ago












            • 3





              I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

              – Neith
              May 31 at 15:03











            • Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

              – lly
              May 31 at 15:04






            • 2





              The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

              – alephzero
              May 31 at 15:22







            • 1





              @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

              – Vladimir F
              2 days ago







            3




            3





            I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

            – Neith
            May 31 at 15:03





            I don’t think “whore” ever meant waitress.

            – Neith
            May 31 at 15:03













            Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

            – lly
            May 31 at 15:04





            Which is fine as it goes: the serving girls were either the keep's daughters and/or 'working girls'. That said, it's still not the word for the girls as servants.

            – lly
            May 31 at 15:04




            2




            2





            The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

            – alephzero
            May 31 at 15:22






            The job didn't exist. It was done by men, not women if it was even done at all. The earliest attestation of "waiter" referring to a public eating house as opposed to a private house is in the 1660sm which is not "the middle ages". The word "waitress" didn't appear until the 19th century.

            – alephzero
            May 31 at 15:22





            1




            1





            @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

            – Vladimir F
            2 days ago





            @alephzero That is a very strange claim. I can find loads of mentions of qomen serving (possibly being the owners) in pubs in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 16th century. It was a quick search on a mobile phone. I would be surprised if it didn't go much farther back in history.

            – Vladimir F
            2 days ago











            -2














            You could try "Pot Girl".



            From https://www.yourdictionary.com/pot-girl.



            "A girl who works serving customers in an inn or public house".






            share|improve this answer


















            • 4





              When was that used? In what country?

              – Mark C. Wallace
              May 31 at 9:01






            • 2





              Certainty British

              – Mawg
              May 31 at 9:45






            • 5





              The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

              – sempaiscuba
              May 31 at 11:55






            • 2





              Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

              – lly
              May 31 at 14:59











            • A pot girl washes pots.

              – Richard
              May 31 at 21:33















            -2














            You could try "Pot Girl".



            From https://www.yourdictionary.com/pot-girl.



            "A girl who works serving customers in an inn or public house".






            share|improve this answer


















            • 4





              When was that used? In what country?

              – Mark C. Wallace
              May 31 at 9:01






            • 2





              Certainty British

              – Mawg
              May 31 at 9:45






            • 5





              The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

              – sempaiscuba
              May 31 at 11:55






            • 2





              Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

              – lly
              May 31 at 14:59











            • A pot girl washes pots.

              – Richard
              May 31 at 21:33













            -2












            -2








            -2







            You could try "Pot Girl".



            From https://www.yourdictionary.com/pot-girl.



            "A girl who works serving customers in an inn or public house".






            share|improve this answer













            You could try "Pot Girl".



            From https://www.yourdictionary.com/pot-girl.



            "A girl who works serving customers in an inn or public house".







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered May 31 at 8:49









            DrMcCleodDrMcCleod

            1304




            1304







            • 4





              When was that used? In what country?

              – Mark C. Wallace
              May 31 at 9:01






            • 2





              Certainty British

              – Mawg
              May 31 at 9:45






            • 5





              The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

              – sempaiscuba
              May 31 at 11:55






            • 2





              Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

              – lly
              May 31 at 14:59











            • A pot girl washes pots.

              – Richard
              May 31 at 21:33












            • 4





              When was that used? In what country?

              – Mark C. Wallace
              May 31 at 9:01






            • 2





              Certainty British

              – Mawg
              May 31 at 9:45






            • 5





              The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

              – sempaiscuba
              May 31 at 11:55






            • 2





              Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

              – lly
              May 31 at 14:59











            • A pot girl washes pots.

              – Richard
              May 31 at 21:33







            4




            4





            When was that used? In what country?

            – Mark C. Wallace
            May 31 at 9:01





            When was that used? In what country?

            – Mark C. Wallace
            May 31 at 9:01




            2




            2





            Certainty British

            – Mawg
            May 31 at 9:45





            Certainty British

            – Mawg
            May 31 at 9:45




            5




            5





            The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

            – sempaiscuba
            May 31 at 11:55





            The term is probably of recent origin though, according to Oxford Dictionaries.

            – sempaiscuba
            May 31 at 11:55




            2




            2





            Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

            – lly
            May 31 at 14:59





            Pot girl isn't attested until the 18th century.

            – lly
            May 31 at 14:59













            A pot girl washes pots.

            – Richard
            May 31 at 21:33





            A pot girl washes pots.

            – Richard
            May 31 at 21:33










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