famulus

Famulus is a Latin noun meaning servant or attendant. In classical and late antique usage, it referred to a household slave or personal aide attached to a master. The feminine form is famula, and the plural is famuli.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin famulus, related to familia (the household or family) and familiaris (domestic, belonging to a household). In English-language scholarship, famulus is used primarily in discussions of Latin language and Roman domestic life.

Historical usage: In antiquity and the Middle Ages, a famulus could be any domestic attendant—slave or freedman—responsible for tasks in the household or for a master's private affairs. The term appears in letters, legal texts, and inventories recording household staff and clients.

Modern usage and sense: Today, famulus is uncommon outside Latin texts. It is encountered mainly in philological works, historical studies on slavery and domestic service, or in literary depictions that aim to evoke antiquity. In some occult or alchemical traditions, the term has sometimes been used to describe an assistant to a practitioner, though this usage is distinct from the broader idea of a familiar spirit.