vavasour

/ˈvavəsʊə/

Etymology

From Middle English vavasour, from Old French vavasour, from Medieval Latin vavassor, perhaps from vassus vassōrum (“vassal of vassals”).

vavasour means a subvassal; someone holding their lands from a vassal of the crown rather than from the crown directly. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 76 out of 100.

Why this word is great

VAVASOUR — [Noun] A feudal tenant holding land from a vassal of the crown, rather than directly from the sovereign. From Middle English *vavasour*, from Old French *vavasour*, from Medieval Latin *vavassor*, probably a contraction of *vassus vassōrum* ("vassal of vassals"). Unlike a vassal, who pledges fealty directly to a liege lord, or a liege, who commands that primary allegiance, a vavasour is a figure of delegation, his authority borrowed and his prestige filtered. He is the mossy stone of a manor house two removes from the king's highway, the banner bearing a smaller version of his lord's crest, the wax seal on his charters an imperfect copy of a copy. The title speaks of the granular dilution of authority, where every king casts multiple, diminishing shadows.

noun

a subvassal; someone holding their lands from a vassal of the crown rather than from the crown directly“Fiddler’s Green is missing? That is passing strange, Lucien. He is, after all, vavasour of his own dominion. And always so… reliable.”