'bondwoman' originates from Middle English, formed from 'bond' + 'woman'; the element 'bond' traces back to Old Norse 'bóndi' (Old English 'bonda'), where 'bóndi/bonda' originally meant 'householder' or 'peasant'.

'bond' in Middle English (appearing in forms such as 'bond' or 'bonde') evolved from Old Norse 'bóndi' and Old English 'bonda'; compounds like 'bondman' and 'bondwoman' developed in Middle English to mean 'serf' or 'slave', and 'bondwoman' later remained chiefly an archaic or literary term.

Initially the root referred to a household head or farmer, but the compound 'bondman'/'bondwoman' shifted to mean 'a person in bondage' (serf or slave); today 'bondwoman' is largely archaic and used mainly in historical or biblical contexts.