Valet and Vassal Come From the Same Root
A valet is a personal manservant. The word shares an ancestor with vassal and once meant a young nobleman.
A valet is a manservant who looks after a gentleman's clothes and personal needs. The word once meant something grander: Old French *vaslet* meant a young man of good birth serving in a household as training, and it descends from the same Celtic-derived root as *vassal*. The service was honourable rather than menial. Pronunciation splits by country and sense: British English says VAL-ay for the servant, while *valet parking* is usually val-AY everywhere.
- A personal manservant. *A gentleman's valet.*
- Valet parking. *Valet parking.*
- Vassal — the related word. *A vassal.*
- To clean a car. *Have the car valeted.*
- Old French — *vaslet*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | valet | A valet. |
| Plural | valets | Valets. |
| Verb | valet | Valeted. |
| Related | vassal | A vassal. |
| Related | varlet | A varlet. |
- His valet laid out the suit.Service.
- Use the valet parking.Modern.
- Vaslet meant a young nobleman.Etymology.
Household service titles
- Valet — attends a gentleman personally
- Butler — head of the household staff, from *bottler*
- Footman — general service, originally attending on foot
- Lady's maid — the female equivalent of a valet
- Varlet — the same word as valet, which soured into an insult
Old French *vaslet*, a young man or squire, from Medieval Latin *vassallus*, from a Celtic root meaning servant.
Are valet and vassal related?
Yes. Both come from a Celtic-derived Medieval Latin word for a servant, and a valet was originally a young man of good birth in service.
Is varlet the same word?
Yes. It is a variant that took a downward turn, becoming a term of contempt while valet stayed respectable.