vavasour

== English == === Alternative forms === valvassor, vavassor, vavasor === 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) (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 ==== == 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) 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) vavasour ==== Descendants ==== French: vavasseur → Middle English: vavasour English: vavasour