Yeoman
/ˈjoʊ.mən/noun
A man holding and cultivating a small landed estate; later, a reliable attendant or servant, especially in a royal household.
Did you know?Yeoman is historically linked to Old English elements meaning “young man,” and over time it came to describe a free man of respectable rank, not a servant in the modern sense.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
ġeongra
“young man, youth”
Middle English
ME
yoman / yeoman
“a young man; later, a household servant of middle rank”
14th Century
English
yeoman
“a man holding and cultivating a small estate; a free commoner of some standing”
Modern English
English
yeoman
“a small freeholder; also a loyal, diligent worker or attendant”