noun
- Plural of esne; in Anglo-Saxon England, laborers or serfs bound to the land, occupying a status between slaves and free peasants.
Usage: archaic; historical; chiefly British history
Examples
- The esnes worked the lord's fields in exchange for protection and a portion of the harvest.
- Anglo-Saxon society included kings, thegns, ceorls, and esnes in its hierarchical structure.
- Unlike slaves, esnes had certain legal rights and could not be sold away from their land.
- The status of esnes gradually evolved into that of medieval serfs over several centuries.
- Historical records document the obligations and duties imposed upon esnes by their lords.