[Hartwood] Fealty: word of the day

[John Mail]

Word of the day:
fealty   \FEE-ul-tee\ 
 
Definition
 
noun
 
1a :the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord
  
b :the obligation of such fidelity
 
2 :intense fidelity
 
Examples
 
"The fealty of country music fans to their favorite stars is as strong as old-time religion." — Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Republic, 18 July 1994
 

Did You Know?
 
In The Use of Law, published posthumously in 1629, Francis Bacon wrote, "Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he will be a faithful Tenant to the King." That's a pretty accurate summary of the early meaning of fealty. Early forms of the term were used in Middle English around 1300, when they specifically designated the loyalty of a vassal to a lord. Eventually, the meaning of the word broadened. Fealty can be paid to a country, a principle, or a leader of any kind—though the synonyms fidelity and loyalty are more commonly used. Fealty comes from the Anglo-French word feelté, or fealté, which comes from the Latin fidelitas, meaning "fidelity." These words are ultimately derived from fides, the Latin word for "faith."