Definition
Servants or subordinates who obey someone without question, often used as an insult to describe people who follow orders without thinking.
Etymology
From French 'laquais,' possibly from Turkish 'ulak' (messenger). The term entered English in the 1600s, originally meaning a footman or personal servant.
Kelly Says
Lackey went from a neutral job title to an insult—it's a perfect example of how language reveals class anxiety, since only the wealthy had servants and calling someone a lackey meant calling them powerless.
Translations
DEDeutsch
Knechte
knyeht-eh
ELΕλληνικά
υπηρέτες
ee-pe-reh-tes
ESEspañol
criados
kree-AH-dos
FAفارسی
خدمتکار
khidmat-kar
FISuomi
palvelijat
pal-ve-li-jat
FRFrançais
serviteurs
ser-vuh-TEER
HAHA
ma'aikata
ma-ai-ka-ta
HUMagyar
szolgák
shol-gaak
IDBahasa Indonesia
pembantu
pemban-too
ITItaliano
servitori
ser-vee-toh-ree
KMKM
អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រង
a-nok krahb krahng
MSBahasa Melayu
pembantu
pemban-too
NLNederlands
knechten
kneh-chten
PTPortuguês
servos
ser-vohs
RORomână
slujitori
slu-jee-toh-ree
SVSvenska
knektar
knehk-tar
SWKiswahili
watumishi
wa-tu-mi-shee
TAதமிழ்
பணியாளர்
pa-ni-ya-la-r
TEతెలుగు
ఉద్యోగి
ud-yog-i
THไทย
คนรับใช้
kon rap chai
TLTL
mga alipores
mga a-lee-po-res
TRTürkçe
köleler
koh-leh-ler
UKУкраїнська
слуги
slu-gi
VITiếng Việt
người hầu
ngoo-hâu
ZUZU
abantwana
a-ban-twa-na