Also 6–7, 9 villane. [ad. med.L. villān-us villager, etc., f. L. villa VILLA.]
1. Hist. A villein; an occupier of land in the feudal vill.
1552. Huloet, Villan, seruus,… uillanus.
1570. Levins, Manip., 19 Villane, verna.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 98. Gif ane over-lord causes marie the heires of his vassall, being in his custodie, with villans (or bondmen) or Burgesses, quhereby the heires are disparaged [etc.].
1699. Temple, Hist. Eng. (ed. 2), 255. What Stock they were possessed of, and how many Villans upon their respective Estates.
1809. Bawdwen, Domesday Bk., 9. There are only two villanes there and four bordars having one plough and a half.
1851. T. H. Turner, Dom. Archit., I. iii. 105. To these woods [at Osterley, Middlesex] resorted moreover all lawless men, fugitiva villans, and persons of the like description.
† 2. A villager, a peasant. Obs.
1685. Hedges, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 208. Vineyards stored with excellent good grapes, which the villanes carry every night to sell at Shirash.
