Etymology Map
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Villain

3 stages from Medieval Latin to English.

Today it means a wicked person; the bad character in a story

Where does the word "villain" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin villanus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
villanus
Medieval Latin · medieval
"farmhand"
a worker on a Roman 'villa', country estate
2
Stage 2 of 3
vilain
Old French · medieval
"peasant, churl"
a feudal serf, assumed by nobles to be base
3
Stage 3 of 3
villain
English · 1300s
"a serf; a scoundrel"
class snobbery turned it into a word for a wicked person
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Read the full story

Villain’s story begins in Medieval Latin: villanus meant “farmhand.” A worker on a Roman 'villa', country estate. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as vilain. A feudal serf, assumed by nobles to be base. It reached English by 1300s as villain. Class snobbery turned it into a word for a wicked person. Today, villain means a wicked person; the bad character in a story.