yeoman

See also: Yeoman

English

WOTD – 30 September 2009

Etymology

From Middle English yoman, yeman, from Old English *ġēamann, from Proto-West Germanic *gauwjamann (compare Old Frisian gāman (villager), Middle Dutch goymann (arbiter)), compound of Proto-West Germanic *gawi (shire, district) (compare Old English -ġē, -ġēa (district, region) (in ælġē, Sūþriġēa), West Frisian gea, goa, Dutch gouw, German Gau) + *mann (man).[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈjəʊ.mən/
  • (file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈjoʊ.mən/
  • (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈjiː.mən/[3]
  • Rhymes: -əʊmən

Noun

yeoman (plural yeomen)

  1. (UK) An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder).
  2. (US) A dependable, diligent, or loyal worker or someone who does a great service.
  3. (historical) A former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing.
  4. A subordinate, deputy, aide, or assistant.
  5. A Yeoman Warder.
  6. A clerk in the US Navy, and US Coast Guard.
  7. (nautical) In a vessel of war, the person in charge of the storeroom.
  8. A member of the Yeomanry Cavalry, officially chartered in 1794 originating around the 1760s.
  9. A member of the Imperial Yeomanry, officially created in 1890s and renamed in 1907.
  10. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Cirrochroa, of Asia and Australasia.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. Robert K. Barnhart, ed., Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, s.v. “yeoman” (Edinburgh: Chambers, [2008], c1988), 1253.
  2. American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edn., s.v. “yeoman”.
  3. Thomas Sheridan (1790) A Complete Dictionary of the English Language, Both with Regard to Sound and Meaning, volume 2, C. Dilly

Further reading

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English yeoman.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /jo.man/
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -an
  • Homophone: yeomans

Noun

yeoman m (plural (traditional) yeomen or yeomans)

  1. (historical) yeoman

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

  • Aymone

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English yeoman.

Noun

yeoman m (plural yeomeni)

  1. yeoman

Declension

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