Wordwyrt

villain

/ˈvɪlən/VIH-luhn
/ˈvɪlən/VIH-luhn

Meaninga farm worker

Common meaning: a wicked person (once a farm servant)

Journey through time

  1. Latinvīlla‘a country house, farm’
  2. Old Frenchvileinsource
  3. Middle Englishvileinsource
  4. Englishmeaning shiftsa country house, farm → a wicked personvillain‘a wicked person (once a farm servant)’ · today

vill also in: villavillage

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin vīlla ‘a country house, farm’.

Did you know (In Late Latin…): our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry VILLAIN, p. 687 · dictionary scan

Did you know (Latin villa, a…): our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry vīlla, p. 1991 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry VILLAIN, p. 687 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • vīlla Latin “a country house, farm”

Related words

villavillage

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