Feudalism — From Medieval Latin to English | etymologist.ai
feudalism
/ˈfjuːdəlɪzəm/·noun·1839 in English (OED); French féodalisme c. 1727 (Boulainvilliers); underlying feudum from 9th–10th century·Established
Origin
Feudalism is an 18th-centuryscholarly coinage describingthe medieval system of land tenure and reciprocal obligation. The wordtravels from PIE *péḱu- (cattle, wealth) through Proto-Germanic *fehu to Frankish *fehu-ōd (cattle-property), Latinised as feudum (fief). The deepetymology reveals that European civilisation's most elaborate system of land, loyalty, and lordship was named, at root, for cattle — the original currency of the Indo-European world.
Definition
A political, economic, and social system of medieval Europe in which land was held by tenants from lords in exchange for military service and other obligations, forming a hierarchical chain of reciprocal duties from sovereign to serf.
The Full Story
Medieval Latin18th century (coined), from medieval rootswell-attested
Coined in French as féodalisme (c. 1727, Boulainvilliers) from féodal, from Medieval Latin feudalis, from feudum or feodum (fief, estate held in return for service). Theunderlying feudum is most probably from Frankish *fehu-ōd (cattle-property, livestock-wealth), from Proto-Germanic *fehu (cattle, movable property) + *ōþ (wealth, possession). Proto-Germanic *fehu descends from PIE *péḱu- (livestock, wealth), one of the most culturally significant
Did you know?
Theword 'fee' that you pay your solicitor descends from the same root as 'feudalism' — both trace back to Proto-Germanic *fehu (cattle). In the ancient Indo-European world, cattle were currency: the Latin word pecunia (money) comes from pecus (cattle), and the first rune of the Elder Futhark, ᚠ (fehu), means 'wealth.' So every time you pay a fee, you are
roots: *péḱu- (Proto-Indo-European: "livestock, movable wealth, cattle — the ancient equation of cattle with property"), *fehu (Proto-Germanic: "cattle, movable property, wealth — also the first rune ᚠ in the Elder Futhark, symbolising wealth"), feudum / feodum (Medieval Latin: "fief, estate
Vieh(German (cattle, from *fehu))fé(Old Norse (cattle, wealth, money))feoh(Old English (cattle, property, money))pecus(Latin (cattle, from *péḱu-))pecunia(Latin (money, from pecus))paśu(Sanskrit (cattle, animal, from *péḱu-))féodalité(French)Feudalismus(German)feudalesimo(Italian)feudalismo(Spanish)