Now rare. Forms: α. 4 vilein, 4–5 vil-, 5 vyleyn, 4 vyl-, 6 vileyne, villeine, 7 -ein; 5–6 vyl-, 6 vilayne, 5–6 vylayn, 6 vylaine, vilane; 5–6 vyllayne, 6 villayne, 6–7 -aine; 5 Sc. villayn, 5 Sc., 7– villain. β. 5 veleyne, velaine, 6 velayn, velen. [a. AF. and OF. vilein, vilain: see prec. and cf. VILLAINS a.]
† 1. Deficient in courtesy or good-breeding; boorish, clownish. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 194. Zome þer byeþ zuo uyleyne to þe poure huanne hi ham yeueþ enye elmesse … þet wel is worþ þet zeluer.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 319. Will seith … That such an herte is to vilein, Which dar noght love.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 1508. And she [Venus] kan also, in certeyn, Hertys which that be vileyn Disposen hem to gentilesse.
2. Base in character or disposition; given to committing vile or criminal acts.
1340. Ayenb., 18. Vor-zoþe he is wel vileyn and ontrewe auoreye his lhord þet alle guod him heþ y-do,… and [he] yelt him kuead uor guod.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 282. And whanne he hadde hem so forlein, As he the which was al vilein, He dede hem out of londe exile.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 226. To a cros of tre … naylyd was he And hangyd up betwyx thevys tweyne As mayster of hem and moste veleyne.
c. 1450. Merlin, xxxiii. 690. Thou art the moste vileyn knyght that euer I mette in my lif.
c. 1489. Skelton, Death Earl Northumbld., 24. Vilane hastarddis in their furious tene, Fulfylled with malice of froward entente.
a. 1500–34. Cov. Corpus Chr. Pl., I. 802. Owt! velen wrychis, har apon you I cry!
1540–1. Elyot, Image Gov., 170. Ye villaine generacion, full of pestiferous malice.
1598. Min. Archdeaconry Colchester (MS.), 211 b. He sayd that Thomas Reinoldes, senior, dyd call hym theefe and villaine thefe in the Church.
1605. Rowlands, Hell’s Broke Loose (Hunter. Club), 23. So these leawd wretches, sprung from Villain race, That had all Pietie in detestation.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 71. Soft, what are you That flye me thus? Some villaine-Mountainers?
1727–46. Thomson, Summer, 269. Where gloomily retired The villain spider lives, cunning and fierce, Mixture abhorred!
c. 1750. Shenstone, Love & Hon., 269. No! may the deep my villain corse devour.
1812. Shelley, Mexican, III. 8. Thousands wake to weep Whilst they curse a villain king.
1897. Gunter, Ballyho Bey, x. 123. Go, leave me, villain-girl!
transf. 1591. Spenser, Visions Bellay, xii. A troupe of Satyres in the place did rout, Which with their villeine feete the streame did ray.
3. Marked by baseness or depravity; partaking of the nature of villainy.
1340. Ayenb., 59. Þe zenne of yelpynge … is wel grat and wel uoul, wel uals and wel vileyn.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1824 (Camb.). Allas of the this was a vileyn dede.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. vi. (1883), 134. To thende that they shold kepe them and defende them fro that vyllayne and horrible synne.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. lxxvii. 99. God ye father glorious be your conduct, and put you out of all vylayne thoughtes. Ibid., ccxxix. 308. To wasshe, clens, and purge hym of suche vyllayne dedes as he was gyltye in.
1689. Prior, Ep. F. Shephard, 118. When Lobb had sifted all his Text,… ‘Now to apply,’ has plagu’d me more, Than all his Villain Cant before.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., cxi. Narrowness or spite, Or villain fancy fleeting by.
1869. Blackmore, Lorna D., xv. This villain job shall not have ending here.
† b. Bringing or casting opprobrium. Obs.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 53. He did a grete outrage, His broþer a foule despite, him self vileyn skandre.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 154. A vyleyn woord is scharpere þan a rasour, & more peryschande þan an allys-poynt.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 128. Thre thinges distrained her for to eschewe diuerse plesauncez,… and tho were loue, drede, and shame;… shame, to be auised and saued from velanie [read velaine] reproche.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 374. I ensure you I wyll shewe him these vylayne wordes that ye say of hym.
4. † a. Of occupations: Low, mean. Obs.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 114. He suld nocht … be na stewart, na procuratour, na advocate, or ony othir villayn craft.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Dd vij. Cursed bee soo vylaine an office.
b. Low or mean in respect of birth or position; belonging to the common herd.
1483. Caxton, Cato, c v. Thou art of vylayn blood by the fadres syde. Ibid., i vj, Thou oughtest not to doubt neyther old nor yonge, pouer ne ryche, ne noble ne vylayne.
c. 1500. in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 36. Who can than holde hym selfe fro loue, nother fre nor vilayne?
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 949. Nother of duke, erle, lorde, by auncetre, But of vylayne people.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 106. This is a grett presumpcion For a villayne bochers sonne.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxxv. Sweeping from the face of the earth some few hundreds of villain churles, who are born but to plough it.
† c. Of disposition: Mean-spirited, base. Obs.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XII. (Percy Soc.), 48. The vylayne courage they do much refuse That is boystous and rude of governaunce.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., III. Wks. 1234/1. That seruante could skante be founden that were of suche an vnkynde vyllayne courage, that [etc.].
5. Of bad quality; vile. rare.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., Villein fleeces, are fleeces of wolle that are shorne from scabbed sheep.
1851. Mitchell, Fresh Gleanings, 161. And carters shout to their mules in such villain patois Lyonnais.
