- varlet
- varlet mid-15c., "servant, attendant of a knight," from M.Fr. varlet (14c.), variant of vaslet, originally "squire, young man," from O.Fr. vassal (see VASSAL (Cf. vassal)). The meaning "rascal, rogue" is 1540s.
Etymology dictionary. 2014.
varlet
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varlet — Varlet, ou Valet, m. ac. (Car le François dit l un et l autre) est celuy qui sert sous un maistre subalterne, Vicarius famulus. Ainsi dit on Valet de garderobbe, Valet de Chambre, Valet fruictier, Valet de chiens, ausquels autres, qui sont sous… … Thresor de la langue françoyse
varlet — ● varlet nom masculin (variante de l ancien français vaslet, valet) Jeune noble placé en service auprès d un seigneur pour faire l apprentissage de la chevalerie. ⇒VARLET, subst. masc. I. HIST. MÉDIÉV. Fils de gentilhomme placé auprès d un grand… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Varlet — can refer to:*a valet, especially as a knight s squire, or the court appointment of valet de chambre. *people with the surname Varlet, such as **Dominique Marie Varlet, Bishop of Babylon, (1678 1742) **Jean Varlet **Charles Varlet de La Grange… … Wikipedia
Varlet — Var let, n. [OF. varlet, vaslet, vallet, servant, young man, young noble, dim of vassal. See {Vassal}, and cf. {Valet}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet; a footman. [Obs.] Spenser. Tusser. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Varlet — Variante de Valet, que l on rencontre en Picardie et en Champagne Ardennes. Au départ le valet était un apprenti chevalier, mais très vite il a pris son sens actuel de domestique, qui est sans doute celui qui correspond au patronyme … Noms de famille
varlet — m. valet ; domestique. voir domestic, serviciau … Diccionari Personau e Evolutiu
varlet — [vär′lit] n. [ME < OFr, a servant, page, var. of vaslet (see VALET): for sense development see KNAVE] Archaic 1. an attendant 2. a youth serving as a knight s page 3. a scoundrel; knave … English World dictionary
varlet — [15] Varlet and valet [16] are doublets – they come from the same ultimate source. This was Vulgar Latin *vassus, a borrowing from Old Celtic *wasso ‘young man, squire’. From *vassus were derived two medieval Latin diminutive forms: vassallus,… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
varlet — [15] Varlet and valet [16] are doublets – they come from the same ultimate source. This was Vulgar Latin *vassus, a borrowing from Old Celtic *wasso ‘young man, squire’. From *vassus were derived two medieval Latin diminutive forms: vassallus,… … Word origins
varlet — A variant of the word ‘valet’, a gentleman’s servant. By the beginning of the seventeenth century it had also acquired the special meaning of bailiff, or sergeant at mace. In Ben Jonson’s Every Man in his Humour, Musco disguises himself as… … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
