Where does “anti-villain” come from?
anti-villain (English) comes from English villain, from Middle English vilein, from Old French vilein, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin vīlla, from Latin vetera, from Latin vetus, from Latin -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.
anti-villain (English): An antagonist who has or may have noble or honorable aims, but pursues them destructively
Definitions
- An antagonist who has or may have noble or honorable aims, but pursues them destructively
Ancestry of “anti-villain”, step by step
anti-villain traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English villain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | villain | A vile, wicked person; In fiction, a character... |
| 2 | Middle English | vilein | villain |
| 3 | Old French | vilein | Alternative form of vilain; villain |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | villanus | villager |
| 5 | Latin | vīlla | country house; villa |
| 6 | Latin | vetera | the old; old times, ancient times, antiquity |
| 7 | Latin | vetus | old, aged, elderly, ancient; long-standing;... |
| 8 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |