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'Wench' is an old word for a girl or a young woman, very often one working as a servant — a kitchen wench, a serving wench in an inn. You will meet it in Shakespeare, in old ballads, and in historical novels, and in Shakespeare's time it could be , the way an older person might say 'lass' or 'my girl'.
'Wench''Wench' is an old word for a girl or a young woman是「女孩」或「年輕女子」的古字, very often one working as a servant常常是指當女僕的那種 — a kitchen wench, a serving wench in an inn廚房女僕、旅店裡端菜的女侍。You will meet it in Shakespeare, in old ballads, and in historical novels你會在莎士比亞的作品、古老的民謠，還有歷史小說裡遇到它, and in Shakespeare's time而在莎士比亞的時代 it could be affectionate它可以是親暱的說法, the way an older person might say 'lass' or 'my girl'就像長輩會說 'lass' 或 'my girl' 那樣。
It has not been ordinary English for a very long time.
It它 has not been ordinary English for a very long time已經很久不是日常英文了。
Today it survives in three places: in old texts you read at school; in fantasy games, pirate films, and medieval-themed restaurants, where 'serving wench' is part of the costume; and in joking modern use between friends, where a man might call a woman 'wench' as a deliberate old-fashioned joke.
Today今天 it survives in three places它只留存在三個地方: in old texts you read at school學校裡讀到的古文; in fantasy games, pirate films, and medieval-themed restaurants奇幻遊戲、海盜電影，還有中世紀主題餐廳, where 'serving wench' is part of the costume'serving wench' 是那套服裝造型的一部分; and in joking modern use between friends以及朋友之間開玩笑的現代用法, where a man might call a woman 'wench' as a deliberate old-fashioned joke男生可能故意用老派的方式叫女生 'wench' 開玩笑。
That last one is risky. Alongside 'young woman', the word also carried the meaning of a woman of low morals or a prostitute, and it treats a woman as a servant and as something to look at. Even said in fun, plenty of women dislike it.
That last one最後這一種用法 is risky是有風險的。Alongside 'young woman'除了「年輕女子」之外, the word also carried the meaning of a woman of low morals or a prostitute這個字也曾帶有「品行不端的女人」或「妓女」的意思, and it treats a woman as a servant and as something to look at而且它把女性當成女僕，也當成被看的對象。Even said in fun就算只是開玩笑地說, plenty of women dislike it很多女性還是不喜歡這個字。
Read it, understand it, enjoy it in Shakespeare — but a should not use it to address a real person.
Read it, understand it, enjoy it in Shakespeare在莎士比亞的作品裡讀它、理解它、欣賞它都可以 — but a learner should not use it to address a real person但學習者不該用它來稱呼真實存在的人。
組成A shortened form of Middle English 'wenchel', meaning a child, from Old English 'wenċel' (child, servant). The older root idea is of something unsteady or wavering — a child being seen as weak or not yet steady.
原始詞典資料9 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
wenchnoun/wɛnt͡ʃ/
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offensivearchaicdialectalA girl or young woman, especially a buxom or lively one.
- Jane played the role of a wench in an Elizabethan comedy.
- I, like a tẽder harted vvench, ſkriked out for feare of the divell.
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offensivearchaicdialectalA girl or young woman, especially a buxom or lively one.
- The woman is a brazen, hard-looking wench, a female pedlar, who hawks needles, thread, cheap looking-glasses, pious pictures, almanacs, hair-pins, ballads, of the most humble pattern, through the country.
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archaicdialectalUsed as a term of endearment for a female person, especially a wife, daughter, or girlfriend: darling, sweetheart.
- When I am dead, good Wench, / Let me be vs'd with Honor; ſtrew me ouer / With Maiden Flowers, that all the world may know / I was a chaſte Wife, to my Graue: [...]
- The mother held her tight, / Saying hard between her teeth—'Why wench, why wench, / The squire speaks to you now—the squire's too good; / He means to set you up, and comfort us. / Be mannerly at least.'
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archaicA woman servant; a maidservant.
- When they had kyndled a fyre in the myddes of the palys / and were sett doune to gedder / Peter alsoo sate doune amonge them. And won off the wenches / as he sate / beholde him by the light and sett goode eyesight on him / and sayde: This same was also with hym. Then he denyed hym sayinge: Woman I knowe hym nott.
- "I fear there is a chase; I think I hear three or four galloping together; I am sure I hear more horses than one." / "Pooh, pooh, it is the wench of the house that is clattering to the well in her pattens; […]."
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archaicA promiscuous woman; a mistress (“other woman in an extramarital relationship”).
- 2 [Friar Bernardine]. Thou haſt committed— / Bar[abas]. Fornication? but that was in another Country; And beſides, the Wench is dead.
- Whilſt Men have theſe Ambitious Fancies, / And wanton Wenches read Romances, / Our Sex will—What? out with it: Lye: / And Theirs in equal Strains reply.
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archaicA prostitute.
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archaichistoricalA black woman (of any age), especially if in a condition of servitude.
- Nancy Basset, 28, likely wench, mulatto / Proved to be free. / Certified free as per General Birch Certificate. / / Patience Jackson, 23, very likely wench, mulatto / Says she was born free Rhode Island. / Certified free as per General Birch Certificate.
- Now, I bought a gal once, when I was in the trade,—a tight, likely wench she was, too, and quite considerable smart— [...]
wenchverb/wɛnt͡ʃ/
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archaicTo frequent prostitutes; to whore; also, to womanize.
- This is ſure ſome hide-bound ſtudent, that proportions his expence by his penſion; and wencheth at Tottenham court for ſtewed prunes and cheeſcakes.
- He [a man under the influence of the planet Mars] hath a marke or ſcar in his face, is broad-ſhouldered, a ſturdy ſtrong body, being bold and proud, given to mocke, ſcorne, quarrell, drinke, game and wench: which you may eaſily know by the Signe he is in; if in the houſe of ♀ he wencheth, if in ☿s he ſteals, [...]
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archaicTo act as a wench.
- λαικάζω (laikázō), to wench
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。