vavasour

English

Alternative forms

• valvassor, vavassor

Etymology

From Middle English vavasour, from Old French vavasour, from Medieval Latin vavassor, perhaps from vassus vassōrum (“vassal of vassals”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvavəsʊə/, /ˈvavəsɔː/, /ˈvavəsə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvævəsʊɹ/, /ˈvævəsɚ/

Noun

vavasour (plural vavasours)

1. (historical) a subvassal; someone holding their lands from a vassal of the crown rather than from the crown directly
   • 1989, Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III, The Doll’s House, The Sandman issue 10

     “Fiddler’s Green is missing? That is passing strange, Lucien. He is, after all, vavasour of his own dominion. And always so… reliable.”

Translations

subvassal — see subvassal

Middle English

Alternative forms

• favasour, vavaceowre, vavaser, vavasor, vavasoure, vavesour, vavisoure, vavysour, vavyssour, vavyssoure

Etymology

From Old French vavasour, from Medieval Latin vavassor, perhaps from vassus vassōrum (“vassal of vassals”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vavəˈsuːr/, /ˈvavəsur/

Noun

vavasour (plural vavasours)

1. vavasour, subvassal
   • Late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

     A shirreve hadde he been, and a contour. / Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.

Descendants

• English: vavasour

References

• “vavasǒur, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old French

Alternative forms

• vavasor, vavasur

Etymology

From Medieval Latin vavassor.

Noun

vavasour oblique singular, m (oblique plural vavasours, nominative singular vavasours, nominative plural vavasour)

1. vavasour
   • 12^th Century, Béroul, Tristan et Iseut:

     […] Et filz a riches vavasors
     Qui servoient por armes tuit.

     […] And sons with rich subvassals
     Who gave everyone arms.

Descendants

• French: vavasseur
• → Middle English: vavasour
  • English: vavasour