etymology · 1100s–1300s
villain
Drift #16 · May 28, 2026 · status
Meaning comparison
Today it means
a wicked or evil person; a criminal
It used to mean (1100s–1300s)
a serf; a low-born farm worker tied to the land
Etymology
'Villain' comes from Old French 'vilain' and Latin 'villanus' — a farm worker attached to a villa or estate. In feudal England, villains were serfs, the lowest class of people. Because aristocrats associated low birth with low morals, the word gradually drifted from 'peasant' to 'scoundrel' to outright 'evil person.'
The Drift
How the meaning shifted over time
the drift
In Historical Context
The lord's villain ploughed the field from first light to last, owning neither the soil nor the fruits of his labour.
drift fact
'Villa,' 'village,' and 'villain' all share the same Latin root — the estate or farm that once defined an entire social class.
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