Wiktionary

vassal

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English vassal, from Old French vassal, from Medieval Latin vassallus (“manservant, domestic, retainer”), from Latin vassus (“servant”), from Gaulish *wassos (“young man, squire”), from Proto-Celtic *wastos (“servant”) (compare Old Irish foss and Welsh gwas).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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vassal (plural vassals)

  1. (historical, law) The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically) military service.
    Synonyms: feudatory, feudal tenant
    The manor's vassals owed first fruits and a tithe to the parish church, another 10% to the lord (including at least 50 eels), a week or two each year of service in the manor's upkeep, and service in the local fyrd.
  2. (historical) Any direct subordinate bound by such vows to a superior.
    Synonyms: subject, dependant, bondsman, villein, serf, helot, thrall, servant, slave
    The king ordered his vassals to join him on the crusade unless they had a written note signed by the archbishop or pope.
  3. (figurative) Any subordinate bound by similar close ties.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      The vassals of his anger.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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vassal (not comparable)

  1. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
    • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
      Did they, quoth you? / Who sees the heavenly Rosaline / That, like a rude and savage man of Inde / At the first opening of the gorgeous east / Bows not his vassal head and strucken blind / Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?

Translations

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Verb

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vassal (third-person singular simple present vassals, present participle vassaling or vassalling, simple past and past participle vassaled or vassalled)

  1. (transitive) To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
  2. (transitive) To subordinate to someone or something.

Translations

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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From Old French vassal, from Medieval Latin vassallus (“manservant, domestic, retainer”), from Latin vassus (“servant”), from Gaulish *wassos (“young man, squire”), from Proto-Celtic *wastos (“servant”) (compare Old Irish foss and Welsh gwas).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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vassal (feminine vassale, masculine plural vassaux, feminine plural vassales)

  1. vassal

Noun

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vassal m (plural vassaux, feminine vassale)

  1. a vassal

Descendants

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  • → Danish: vasal
  • → Russian: васса́л (vassál) (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Hungarian

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Etymology

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vas (“iron”) +‎ -val (“with”, instrumental case suffix)

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈvɒʃːɒl]
  • Hyphenation: vas‧sal

Noun

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vassal

  1. instrumental singular of vas

Derived terms

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old French vassal.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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vassal (plural vassalles)

  1. A feudal retainer, who is obliged to render military service.
  2. A servant to one’s beloved, professed lover.
  3. As surname.

Descendants

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References

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Old French

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Noun

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vassal oblique singular, m (oblique plural vassaus or vassax or vassals, nominative singular vassaus or vassax or vassals, nominative plural vassal)

  1. vassal

Descendants

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