'maidservant' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'maid' and 'servant'. 'maid' ultimately comes from Old English 'mægden' (or 'mægd') meaning 'young woman, maiden', and 'servant' comes from Old French 'servant' (from Latin 'servire') meaning 'to serve'.

'maidservant' changed from Middle English compound forms such as 'maid servaunt' or 'maidservaunt' and eventually became the modern English word 'maidservant'.

Initially, the elements meant 'young woman' ('maid') and 'one who serves' ('servant'), so the compound originally and traditionally meant 'female domestic servant'; this basic sense has largely remained, though 'maid' alone also kept an older sense of 'maiden'.