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vas·sal

(văsəl)

1. A person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in return for homage and allegiance.

2. A bondman; a slave.

3. A subordinate or dependent.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *vassallus, from *vassus, of Celtic origin; see upo in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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