1. “Magd” in the German lands
The German term Magd (“maid”; OHG magat, MHG maget, magt, Dutch maagd, Frisian megith) at first denoted an unmarried adult woman, but came in particular to refer to rural female servants in husbandry.
The Magd, as a seasonal rural laborer, was – like the Knecht – widespread in regions where the European marriage pattern and the nuclear family centered on a married couple were customary. Service as a maid in rural society accordingly marked a phase in the usual course of life (Curriculum v…