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).
Meanings
(not-comparable) 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? 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]:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
vasal
alternative, rare
lexicographic
Translations (10)
ka ვასალური (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · fi alamainen (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · mk ва́зален (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · hu vazallusi (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · mk ва́залски (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · hu szolgai (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · ga seirbhíseach (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · hu hűbéresi (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · ga vasáilleach (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile) · bg васалски (resembling a vassal; slavish; servile)
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).
Meanings
(historical) 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.
It was superimposed on rules of conduct evolved at an earlier date as the spontaneous expression of class consciousness; rules that pertained to the fealty of vassals (the transition appears clearly, towards the end of the eleventh century, in the Book of the Christian Life by Bishop Bonizo of Sutri, for whom the knight is, first and foremost, an enfeoffed vassal ) and constituted above all a class code of noble and 'courteous' people. 2002, Marc Bloch, Feudal Society: Vol 2: Social Classes and Political Organisation, page 38:
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.
(historical) 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.
(figuratively) Any subordinate bound by similar close ties.
The vassals of his anger. 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:
eo vasalo (grantee of a fief) · ga vasáilleach (servant) · gl vasalo (grantee of a fief) · hu hűbéres (grantee of a fief) · ja 封臣 (grantee of a fief) · hu alattvaló (servant) · ja 幕臣 (grantee of a fief) · bg васа́л (grantee of a fief) · fr vassal (grantee of a fief) · de Vasall (grantee of a fief) · gv jiulean (grantee of a fief) · pl wasal (grantee of a fief) · hu vazallus (grantee of a fief) · eo vasalo (servant) · cmn 附庸 (servant) · ga vasáilleach (grantee of a fief) · de Höriger (grantee of a fief) · fi vasalli (servant) · mk ва́зал (grantee of a fief) · la vassallus (grantee of a fief) · be васа́л (grantee of a fief) · mi awhenga (servant) · da vasal (servant) · es vasallo (servant) · ga seirbhíseach (servant) · mi wheteke (servant) · de Gefolgsmann (grantee of a fief) · pt servo (servant) · fi vasalli (grantee of a fief) · la servus (servant) · qu suyu runa (grantee of a fief) · nl vazal (grantee of a fief) · ka ვასალი (grantee of a fief) · da vasal (grantee of a fief) · vo vasal (grantee of a fief) · la ambactus (servant) · hu csatlós (servant) · de Scherge (servant) · hy վասալ (grantee of a fief) · de Handlanger (servant) · de Lehnsmann (grantee of a fief) · mk ва́зал (servant) · es vasallo (grantee of a fief) · gl servo (servant) · gl vasalo (servant) · de Büttel (servant) · pt vassalo (grantee of a fief) · cmn 封臣 (grantee of a fief) · hu szolga (servant) · ka ვასალი (servant) · sl vazal (grantee of a fief) · de Dienstmann (servant) · it vassallo (grantee of a fief) · de Lakai (servant) · sk vazal (grantee of a fief) · fr vassal (servant) · ru васса́л (servant) · de Vasall (servant) · de Hucker (servant) · nrf vassa (grantee of a fief) · mk слу́га (servant) · cmn 僕從 /仆从 (servant) · sv vasall (grantee of a fief) · cs vazal (grantee of a fief) · de Klient (grantee of a fief) · ja 家臣 (servant) · nrf vassa (servant) · de Gefolgsmann (servant) · de Gefolgsleute (grantee of a fief) · io vasalo (servant) · pt vassalo (servant) · ko 봉신 (grantee of a fief) · ru васса́л (grantee of a fief) · uk васа́л (grantee of a fief) · la ambactus (grantee of a fief) · kk тәуелді (grantee of a fief) · cmn 奴僕 /奴仆 (servant) · la cliēns (grantee of a fief) · ja 臣下 (servant) · de Entourage (servant)
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).
Meanings
(transitive) To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
(transitive) To subordinate to someone or something.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
vassals
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
vassaled
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
US
lexicographic
vassaled
Tense=Past
US
lexicographic
vassalled
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
UK
lexicographic
vassalled
Tense=Past
UK
lexicographic
vassaling
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
US
lexicographic
vasal
alternative, rare
lexicographic
vassalling
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
UK
lexicographic
Translations (7)
fr vassaliser (to subordinate to someone or something) · fi orjuuttaa (to treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave) · es avasallar (to subordinate to someone or something) · fr vassaliser (to treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave) · hu alávet (to subordinate to someone or something) · hu szolgasorba/szolgaságba dönt (to treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave) · es avasallar (to treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave)