English

Alternative forms

• valvassor
• vavassor

Noun

vavasour ‎(plural vavasours)

1. (historical) a subvassal; someone holding their lands from a vassal of the crown rather than from the crown directly
   • Late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

     A shirreve hadde he been, and a contour. / Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.

   • 1989, Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III, The Doll’s House, The Sandman issue 10

     “Fiddler’s Green is missing? That is passing strange, Lucien. He is, after all, vavasour of his own dominion. And always so… reliable.”

Old French

Alternative forms

• vavasor
• vavasur

Etymology

Medieval Latin vavassor

Noun

vavasour m ‎(oblique plural vavasours, nominative singular vavasours, nominative plural vavasour)

1. vavasour
   • 12^th Century, Béroul, Tristan et Iseut:

     […] Et filz a riches vavasors
     Qui servoient por armes tuit.

     […] And sons with rich subvassals
     Who gave everyone arms.