fealty
UK/'fi:әlti/US
TOEFLGREC2
Definitions
n.
The loyalty and faithfulness a vassal owed to a feudal lord; sworn allegiance
（封建）效忠，臣属的忠诚
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Old French fealte, ultimately Latin fidēlitās (faithfulness) — the very same source as fidelity, just taken through a more medieval French route. Fealty is the loyalty a vassal swore to a lord, and it survives today mostly in historical, legal, or poetic contexts: to swear/pledge fealty.
Root fid still carries 16 more wordsWhy It Means This
Fealty and fidelity are twins from the same Latin word fidēlitās. Fidelity came through Latin and stayed general; fealty came through medieval French and got locked into the feudal world of lords and vassals. Today fealty sounds archaic or ceremonial, while fidelity is everyday.
Common Collocations
- 1.swear fealty宣誓效忠
- 2.pledge fealty宣誓效忠
- 3.oath of fealty效忠誓言
Example Sentences
- 1.
The knights swore fealty to their king.
- 2.
He pledged fealty to the new lord of the manor.