Villein
/ˈvɪlən/noun
A feudal tenant bound to a lord and the land, especially in medieval Europe.
Did you know?In medieval English, *villein* and *villain* were historically connected, so a word for a farm laborer slowly became a word for a bad person.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
villanus
“A farm servant or someone belonging to a country estate (from *villa*, country house/estate).”
Old French
Old French
vilain
“A peasant, farm laborer, or rustic person; later also someone of low social status.”
Middle English
English
villein
“A feudal tenant legally tied to a lord and unable to leave the land freely.”
Middle English
English
villain
“A person of base or wicked character, developing from the social insult attached to the word.”
Modern English
English
villein
“An archaic historical term for an unfree medieval tenant.”