manred

noun /ˈmænɹɪd/

1. Vassals collectively; the men a feudal lord can call upon in wartime.

   countable, historical, uncountable

   There he was joined by his sons and addition troops, almost certainly more of the Dudley manred from the Midlands.

2. Homage, allegiance; support of one's feudal superior.

   countable, obsolete, uncountable

3. The leader of a troop or retinue.

   countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English manrede, manred, from Old English manrǣden (“dependence, homage, service, tribute, due”), equivalent to man + -red and a doublet of manrent. The expected Modern English form would be mandred (like kindred < Middle English kynrede), but the loss of the term from the spoken vernacular has arrested its normal phonological development (this also accounts for the pronunciation /ˈmænɹɛd/).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry manred (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← manoxylicmanrent →

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