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Villein - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Chattel, Churl, Concubine, Helot, Liege, Odalisque, Peon, Serf, Servant, Slave, Subject, Thrall, Vassal |
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A villein is, in the feudal system, a member of the class of serfs tied to the land, distinguished from those in actual slavery, but restricted by law from exercising the rights of a free man. The word, identical in origin to villain, derived from the Latin villanus, pertaining to the landed estate or villa. A variety of kinds of villeinage existed in the European middle ages, and it is impossible to arrive at a precise definition with satisfies them all.
See Manorialism
Villain is a misspelling.
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