好词典

verna

UK /ˈvɜːnə/US /ˈvɜːrnə/

词源

源自拉丁语'verna',意为'家庭出生的奴隶',可能与'vernus'(春天的)有关,象征新生。

noun

❶ 指古罗马时期家庭中出生的奴隶,特指在主人家庭中出生而非被买来的奴隶,其身份地位与普通奴隶有所不同。

“The verna was often treated more leniently than other slaves in the household.”

(家庭中对verna的对待通常比对其他奴隶更为宽容。)

“As a verna, he had known no other home but his master's.”

(作为verna,他除了主人的家外不知道还有其他家。)

同义词:house-born slave, native slave

常见短语

verna libertus — 指从verna身份被解放的人,即原为家庭出生奴隶后获得自由的人。

“After years of service, the verna libertus was granted a small plot of land.”

(多年服务后,这位verna libertus被授予一小块土地。)