neife

English

Noun

neife (plural neifes)

  1. (historical) Alternative form of neif
    • 1771, Blackstone, William, Sir, “Of the Modern English Tenures”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England‎, volume 2, pages 93–94:
      For the children of villeins were also in the same state of bondage with their parents; whence they were called in Latin, nativi, which gave rise to the female appellation of a villein, who was called a neife. [...] Neifes indeed had also an appeal of rape, in case the lord violated them by force.

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