Feudal
/ˈfjuːdəl/noun
Relating to the medieval system in which land was held in exchange for service or loyalty.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *feudum* (a fief), part of the legal language of landholding and obligation that helped define medieval power structures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fehu
“cattle; movable wealth”
Early Medieval Latin
Latin
feudum
“a fief; land held from a lord”
Old French
Old French
feodal
“of or relating to a fief”
Late Middle English
English
feudal
“pertaining to the system of land tenure by service”
Modern English
English
feudal
“relating to the medieval social and political system based on landholding and allegiance”