villein
/'vilin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A feudal tenant legally bound to a lord's land: A villein was a peasant in medieval Europe who was tied to the land they worked on. They were not slaves but were not free to leave; they owed labor and other services to the lord of the manor in exchange for the right to cultivate a portion of the land for their own subsistence.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The medieval villein worked the lord's fields three days a week.
- A villein's status was hereditary, meaning their children were also bound to the land.
Advanced Usage
- "Villein tenure" or "Villeinage": Refers to the legal and social condition of being a villein.
- The system of villeinage began to decline after the Black Death.
- "Villein in gross": A legal term for a villein who was personally attached to a lord, rather than to a specific piece of land.
Variants and Related Words
- Villeinage (noun): The condition or tenure of a villein; serfdom.
- Villeinage was a common form of tenure in Norman England.
- Villain (noun): CRITICAL DISTINCTION: This is a different, unrelated word meaning a wicked or evil person. Do not confuse "villein" (a medieval peasant) with "villain" (a criminal or antagonist).
Synonyms
- Serf: A person in a similar condition of servitude, often used interchangeably with villein, though legal distinctions sometimes existed.
- Bondman / Bondsman: A man bound to serve without wages; a serf.
Antonyms
- Freeman: A person who is not a slave or serf; one possessing civil liberties.
- Lord: The feudal landowner to whom a villein owed service.
Related Phrases / Context
- "To hold in villeinage": To possess land under the conditions of villein tenure.
- The estate was held in villeinage, worked by peasants who were not free to leave.
- "From villein to villain": A phrase noting the historical linguistic shift and common confusion between the two words.
Noun
- (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord