May 8, 2015 · How did the archaic 'villein' transform into villain? This is the process of semantic change called degeneration or pejoration: Historical Linguistics. semantic change in a word to a lower, less …

Jun 30, 2020 · One of the class of serfs in the feudal system; spec. a peasant occupier or cultivator entirely subject to a lord ( villein in gross gross n.4 2e) or attached to a manor ( villein regardant …

Oct 26, 2017 · Webster says that the word "slave" goes back to the word "Slav", as the early slaves in Europe were all from among Slavs. Is this etymology generally accepted, or are there some other …

Jan 9, 2016 · Hence, villein, a medieval serf, and Anglo-Saxon ceorl, still lower in the hierarchy, deteriorated to villain and churlish, while noble and gentle, predictably, rose in moral connotations.

Feb 27, 2013 · The lowest-ranking person in society might be a serf:- a person in a condition of servitude, required to render services to a lord, commonly attached to the lord's land and transferred …

The rare ones are: ceinture, enceinte, mullein, teiid, and villein. Of these, albeit, herein, therein and wherein are not digraphs so fool no one.

One who worked the land but was not a serf might be a "villein" (talk about acquiring negative connotations!). BTW: In my old New York neighborhood that had a lot of Italian immigrants, my …

Can anyone explain to me the difference between peasant and villager? I can see that peasant refers to a social class, and villager refers to a physical location, but are these words interchangeable?

Aug 30, 2014 · What is a derogatory word or term for a peasant/lower-class person that is stronger or more insulting than pleb? It could be an archaic term used by nobles during the Middle Ages.