Definition of villain

The origin of the word "villain" can be traced back to the Old French language, where it was spelled as "vilain" or "vilenoit." In Old French, the word described a person of low birth, often a peasant or a serf, who served as a vassal to a higher-ranking lord. The word made its way into Middle English in the 1300s, where it was used to describe a person of low social status, often with connotations of criminality or moral depravity. It was during this time that the word began to take on more negative connotations, such as cruel or villainous behavior. In Shakespearean drama, the word "villain" was used to describe any character who opposed the hero, regardless of their social status. This usage has continued into modern literature and popular culture, where the term is often used to describe any character who possesses negative qualities, such as greed, cruelty, or malevolence. Despite the negative connotations associated with the word, there have been attempts to reclaim it in certain contexts. For example, in the 1960s, British singer Adam Faith adopted "Villain" as his stage name as a way to subvert the traditional meaning of the word and embrace its connotations of rebelliousness and subversion. In summary, the word "villain" originated in Old French as a descriptor of a person of low social status, and has since taken on more negative connotations in English, particularly in reference to characters in literature and popular culture who display negative qualities or behaviors.