Where does “villainly” come from?
villainly (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.
villainly (English): Characteristic of a villain
Definitions
- Characteristic of a villain
Ancestry of “villainly”, step by step
villainly 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 |