vilain

Forms

vilain m (plural vilains, feminine vilaine)^[1] Old French also vilein and villein.^[1] In 1690 Furetière spelled the adjective with one ⟨l⟩ and the noun with two, ⟨villain⟩, for etymological reasons.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French vilain, inherited from Late Latin vīllānus (“village dweller owing certain services”), which is recorded in 779 and as an adjective meaning “of the village, of the countryside” in 864.^[3][4][2] The Late Latin word is formed from vīlla (“farm, country house”), the source of ville.^[3][2][5] Rey and the Petit Robert date the first French record to 1090.^[2][6] The word is not related to vil,^[1] but its drift towards contempt was helped by being associated with it.^[2][6]

Cognate with Occitan vilan, Spanish villano and Italian villano.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Philippe de Thaon's Comput (about 1119) uses it as a noun for a free peasant, as opposed to a serf.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The noun meant a peasant or a man of low birth, and, as opposed to noble, a commoner.^[2][3] This use was already archaic in the classical period, but historians of law took it up again in the 17th century;^[2] savonnette à vilain (1701) was an office a commoner bought to become noble.^[2] As an adjective it had the same feudal value in Old French, as in fief vilain, a fief held by a commoner.^[2]

The contempt attached to the peasant's condition explains the rest of its history.^[2][5] By about 1138 it meant “cowardly”, and in the 12th century also “miserly”;^[2][9] by about 1155 it described moral ugliness, and by about 1200 physical ugliness, a use now familiar or regional.^[2][3] From about 1320 it was said of anything unpleasant, and in the 17th century of a dangerous illness or of bad weather, hence il fait vilain (1680).^[2][10] In the vocabulary used with children it now means “naughty”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 1119 – Philippe de Thaon uses it for a free peasant.^[3][2]
• c. 1135 – The Couronnement de Louis uses the adjective for peasant-like and base conduct.^[3]
• c. 1138 – Gaimar uses it to mean “cowardly”.^[9][11][2]
• c. 1155 – Wace uses it of moral ugliness.^[3][11]
• c. 1200 – The Roman de Guillaume de Dole uses it for what is unpleasant to look at.^[3][11]
• c. 1320 – It is applied to what is disagreeable.^[2]
• 1636 – It means “dangerous”, of an illness.^[2]
• 1680 – Richelet records il fait vilain, of the weather.^[2][10]
• 1701 – Savonnette à vilain is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (history) In the Middle Ages, a free peasant as opposed to a serf, or a commoner as opposed to a noble.^[3][6]
2. (familiar) A naughty person, especially a child.^[6]
3. (familiar) Du vilain: trouble, a quarrel or a fight, as in faire du vilain.^[6][10]

Adjective

1. (dated) Contemptible, base, dishonourable; also indecent.^[6][1]
2. (familiar) Naughty, said to children: c'est vilain de mentir.^[6][1]
3. Ugly, unpleasant to look at.^[6][11][3]
4. Of the weather, bad: il fait vilain.^[6][2]
5. Unpleasant and dangerous: une vilaine blessure, jouer un vilain tour.^[6]

Word family

• vilenie
• vilainement
• vilainage

Related words

• ville
• Latin villa

Usage notes

The proverbs jeu de main, jeu de vilain (now understood in the sense “naughty”) and oignez vilain, il vous poindra, poignez vilain, il vous oindra keep the old sense of “peasant”.^[6][1] Vilain petit canard is the ugly duckling.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 453a
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
9. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
11. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse