Plural of 'abigail,' referring to female servants or chambermaid characters, often used as a generic term for a lady's personal attendant.
From the biblical name Abigail, who appears in 1 Samuel as the wise and beautiful wife of Nabal. The term became a stock character type in 17th-18th century literature for a clever servant girl, particularly in plays. Eventually the term was generalized to any female servant.
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