vassal
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vassal
- /ˈvæsəl/
Rhymes with -æsəl
Where it comes from
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).
noun vassals · vasal
-
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.
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.
Similar: feudatory, feudal tenant
-
Any direct subordinate bound by such vows to a superior.
The king ordered his vassals to join him on the crusade unless they had a written note signed by the archbishop or pope.
Similar: subject, dependant, bondsman, villein, serf, helot, thrall, servant, slave
- Any subordinate bound by similar close ties. The vassals of his anger.
adjective vasal
- Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile. 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?
verb vassals · vassaling · vassalling · vassaled · vassalled
- To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
- To subordinate to someone or something.
Translations
Every language
noun grantee of a fief
| Español | vasallo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 봉신 bongsin |
| 日本語 | 封臣 hōshin, 幕臣 bakushin |
| 中文 | 封臣 fēngchén |
| Português | vassalo |
| Français | vassal |
| Deutsch | Vasall, Lehnsmann, Gefolgsmann, Gefolgsleute, Höriger, Klient |
| Italiano | vassallo |
| Русский | васса́л vassál |
noun servant
| Español | vasallo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 家臣 kashin, 臣下 shinka |
| 中文 | 附庸 fùyōng, 奴僕 /奴仆 núpú, 僕從 /仆从 púcóng |
| Português | vassalo, servo |
| Français | vassal |
| Deutsch | Vasall, Gefolgsmann, Lakai, Dienstmann, Büttel, Entourage |
| Русский | васса́л vassál |
verb to treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave
| Español | avasallar |
|---|---|
| Français | vassaliser |
verb to subordinate to someone or something
| Español | avasallar |
|---|---|
| Français | vassaliser |
Talk about this word "vassal." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/vassal. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. vassal. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/vassal "vassal." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/vassal.Cite this
@misc{vassal_2026,
title = {vassal},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/vassal},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
