Where does “vilein” come from?
vilein (Middle English) comes from Old French vilein, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin vīlla, from Latin vetera, from Latin vetus, from Latin -tus, from Proto-Italic -tus, from Proto-Indo-European -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.
Ancestry of “vilein”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | vilein | Alternative form of vilain; villain |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | villanus | villager |
| 3 | Latin | vīlla | — |
| 4 | Latin | vetera | the old; old times, ancient times, antiquity |
| 5 | Latin | vetus | old, aged, elderly, ancient; long-standing;... |
| 6 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |