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serfmore about serf

serf


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Serf  \Serf\,  n.  [F.,  fr  L.  serus  servant,  slave;  akin  to 
  servare  to  protect,  preserve,  observe,  and  perhaps 
  originally,  a  client,  a  man  under  one's  protection.  Cf 
  {Serve},  v.  t.] 
  A  servant  or  slave  employed  in  husbandry,  and  in  some 
  countries  attached  to  the  soil  and  transferred  with  it  as 
  formerly  in  Russia. 
 
  In  England,  at  least  from  the  reign  of  Henry  II  one 
  only,  and  that  the  inferior  species  [of  villeins], 
  existed  .  .  .  But  by  the  customs  of  France  and  Germany, 
  persons  in  this  abject  state  seem  to  have  been  called 
  serfs,  and  distinguished  from  villeins,  who  were  only 
  bound  to  fixed  payments  and  duties  in  respect  of  their 
  lord,  though,  as  it  seems  without  any  legal  redress  if 
  injured  by  him  --Hallam. 
 
  Syn:  {Serf},  {Slave}. 
 
  Usage:  A  slave  is  the  absolute  property  of  his  master,  and 
  may  be  sold  in  any  way  A  serf,  according  to  the 
  strict  sense  of  the  term,  is  one  bound  to  work  on  a 
  certain  estate,  and  thus  attached  to  the  soil,  and 
  sold  with  it  into  the  service  of  whoever  purchases  the 
  land. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  serf 
  n  :  (medieval  Europe)  a  person  who  is  bound  to  the  land  and 
  owned  by  the  feudal  lord  [syn:  {helot},  {villein}] 




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