geneat

geneat

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old English ġenēat (“companion, follower, follower in battle; dependant, vassal, tenant who works for a lord”), from Proto-Germanic *ganautaz (“comrade”), from Proto-Indo-European *newd- (“to acquire, make use of”). Cognate with West Frisian genoat (“comrade, companion”), Dutch genoot (“companion, mate”), German Genosse (“companion, comrade, fellow”), Icelandic -nautur (“comrade, companion, fellow”). More at note, neat.

Noun

geneat (plural geneat or geneats)

1. (historical) A retainer; vassal; one who holds lands of a superior either by service or payment of rent.
   • 1861, C. H. Pearson, Early & Middle Ages Eng. I. 201:

     The tenants, cotsetlas, geburs, and geneats, were the highest among the semiservile.

   • 1872, E. W. Robertson, Hist. Ess. 101:

     The right of the husbandman was a share right, his name was Geneat or sharer in the vill.

   • 1892, F. Seebohm in Hist. Rev. July 458:

     In each manor there is the same division into land in demesne and land in villainage, the inland and the geneat land.

Derived terms

• geneatland

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Anagrams

• negate

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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ganautaz, equivalent to ġe- +‎ nēat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /je.ˈnæːɑt/

Noun

ġenēat m (nominative plural ġenēatas)

1. A companion; associate; vassal

Derived terms

• bēodġenēat
• ealdġenēat
• heorþġenēat

Descendants

• → English: geneat