ultimately derives from Byzantine Greek ??????? sklábos or ?????????? esklabenos.

According to the widespread view, which has been known since the 18th century, the Byzantine ????????? Sklábinoi, ?????????? Esklabenoí, borrowed from a Slavic tribe self-name *Slovene, turned into ???????, ?????????? (Late Latin sclavus) in the meaning 'prisoner of war slave', 'slave' in the 8th/9th century,