vassal

vassal
A grantee of land, a tenant, a feudatory, a landholder, under the feudal system. Originally no stigma was attached to the word but the abuses which crept into feudal tenure altered its meaning so that it came to signify a slave or bondman. See 2 Bl Comm 53.

Ballentine's law dictionary. . 1998.

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  • vassal — vassal, ale, aux [ vasal, o ] n. • 1283; « homme vaillant et brave » 1080; lat. médiév. vassallus, du gaul. vassus → valet ♦ Au Moyen Âge, Homme lié personnellement à un seigneur, un suzerain qui lui concédait la possession effective d un fief. ⇒ …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • vassal — vassal, ale (va sal, sa l ) s. m. et f. 1°   Celui, celle qui relève d un seigneur à cause d un fief. •   L obligation de tout vassal envers son seigneur fut de porter les armes et de juger ses pairs dans sa cour, MONTESQ. Esp. XXX, 17. •   Dans… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Vassal — Freguesia de Portugal …   Wikipedia Español

  • vassal — Vassal, qui tient quelque chose d aucun à foy et hommage, Cliens, Posþsessor fundi inferioris, Beneficiarius, Possessor praedij clienteþlaris. B. És anciens Romans il se prent pour le contraire du souldoyer, d autant que cestuy ci prent souldée,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Vassal — Vas sal, n. [F., fr. LL. vassallus, vassus; of Celtic origin; cf. W. & Corn. gwas a youth, page, servant, Arm. gwaz a man, a male. Cf. {Valet}, {Varlet}, {Vavasor}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Feud. Law) The grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who holds …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Vassal — Vas sal, a. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile. [1913 Webster] The sun and every vassal star. Keble. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • vassal — (n.) mid 15c. (c.1200 as a surname) tenant who pledges fealty to a lord, from O.Fr. vassal, from M.L. vassallus manservant, domestic, retainer, from vassus servant, from O.Celt. *wasso young man, squire (Cf. Welsh gwas youth, servant, Bret. goaz… …   Etymology dictionary

  • vassal — VASSAL. s. m. Celuy qui releve d un Seigneur superieur à cause d un fief. Il est son vassal. c est mon vassal …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • vassal — [vas′əl] n. [OFr < ML vassalus, manservant, extension of vassus, servant < Celt: for IE base see VALET] 1. in the Middle Ages, a person who held land under the feudal system, doing homage and pledging fealty to an overlord, and performing… …   English World dictionary

  • Vassal — Vas sal, v. t. To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • vassal — index dependent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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