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Glite Dictionary
liegeman

liegeman

9.9
A man who promises to serve and be loyal to a lord
  • noun
  • /ˈliːdʒmən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : vasallo
  • In the feudal system, each vassal was expected to serve as a liegeman to his lord in times of war.

Examples

  • The knight proved himself a loyal liegeman to his lord, defending the castle against invaders.

  • As a devoted liegeman, he pledged to protect his lord's interests and uphold his honor.

  • All while never failing in his duty as a liegeman of life and limb to the Queen and making a nation laugh along the way.

Synonyms

vassal
vsliegeman
7 9.9

A person in the Middle Ages who holds land from a lord and must fight for him

is a male-specific term for someone who owes that service
feudatory
vsliegeman
9.9

A person who holds land and owes loyalty and service to a lord

is used for a man owing service in general not only for fief holders
liege subject
vsliegeman
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who owes loyalty and service to a lord in medieval times

is specifically a man whereas the other term is gender neutral

Surface Forms

liegeman singular
liegemen plural

Morphology

liegeman = liege + man (transparent) = liege + man

Direct compound of 'liege' + 'man' meaning a man owing allegiance to a liege; the composition is semantically straightforward if the learner knows 'liege'.

Etymology

Liegeman comes from the old word liege meaning 'lord' and man, so it originally named a man who belonged to and served his lord. That's why a liegeman means someone who promises loyalty and service to a feudal lord.