The term "slave trade" refers to the brutal practice of forcefully capturing and transporting individuals to be sold into slavery. At its core, the word is made up of two simple English syllables: "slave" and "trade". The word "slave" is pronounced /sleɪv/, with the "a" as in "say" and the "v" as in "van". The word "trade" is pronounced /treɪd/, with the "a" as in "say" and the "d" as in "day". Altogether, "slave trade" is pronounced /sleɪv treɪd/.
The term "slave trade" refers to the historical practice of buying, selling, and transporting human beings as slaves for economic, labor, or other purposes. It involves the systematic coercion, capture, and trade of individuals, primarily from Africa, but also from other continents, to be enslaved and exploited by others. The slave trade specifically gained prominence during the transatlantic slave trade, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century.
The transatlantic slave trade involved the abduction and forced transportation of millions of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, primarily to work in sugar, cotton, tobacco, and other plantation-based industries. These individuals were treated as property, stripped of their fundamental rights, and subjected to unimaginable cruelty, degradation, and inhumane treatment by their owners.
The slave trade had profound and far-reaching consequences, including the dehumanization and suffering of millions of enslaved individuals, who were victims of extreme exploitation and brutal conditions. The trade also impacted the economies of the nations involved, shaping the development of industries and infrastructure in the Americas and Europe.
Abolitionist movements and changing societal attitudes eventually led to the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, starting with the British Empire in the early 19th century. Nonetheless, the slave trade remains a dark chapter in human history, with enduring legacies of racism, inequality, and social injustice still being addressed today.
The traffic in slaves; the purchasing or kidnapping of human beings for slaves, particularly on the coast of Africa, in order to carry them in ships to distant countries.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "slave trade" is a compound noun that combines the terms "slave" and "trade".
The term "slave" originated from the Middle English word "sclave" or "slave", which came from the Old French word "esclave", and ultimately derives from the medieval Latin word "sclavus" that referred to Slavic people who were captured and sold as slaves during the early medieval period.
The term "trade" comes from the Old English word "træd" or "tred" and is related to the Middle Dutch word "traet", meaning "track" or "course", which later evolved to encompass the exchange of goods or services between people.
Thus, the term "slave trade" emerged in the English language to describe the buying, selling, and transportation of slaves as chattel commodities in the trade networks that developed primarily during the 15th to 19th centuries.