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Chambers (1908)

Vassal

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This edition’s origin note

[Fr.,—Low L. vassalis—Bret. gwaz, a servant; cf. W. gwas, a youth.]

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Vassal, vas′al, n. one who holds land from, and renders homage to, a superior: a dependant, retainer: a bondman, slave: (Shak.) a low wretch.—adj. (Shak.) servile.—v.t. to enslave, to dominate.—ns. Vass′alāge, state of being a vassal: dependence: subjection: a fee, fief: (Shak.) vassals collectively; Vass′aless (Spens.), a female vassal; Vass′alry, vassals collectively. [Fr.,—Low L. vassalis—Bret. gwaz, a servant; cf. W. gwas, a youth.]

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  • Historical scholarship from 1908; not current consensus or editorial verification.
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Edition, rights and traceability

Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language
Thomas Davidson (editor)
1908

Public-domain-US ↗ · United States

Publisher marks these historical texts public domain in the USA. Transformed book text excludes Gutenberg branding; source attribution is a bibliographic acknowledgment. No non-US public-domain determination is made.

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