vill

CIDE DICTIONARY

vill, n. [OF. ville, vile, a village, F. ville a town, city. See Villa.].

 A small collection of houses; a village.  Sir M. Hale.  [1913 Webster]
" A word of various significations in English, law; as, a manor; a tithing; a town; a township; a parish; a part of a parish; a village. The original meaning of vill, in England, seems to have been derived from the Roman sense of the term villa, a single country residence or farm; a manor. Later, the term was applied only to a collection of houses more than two, and hence came to comprehend towns. Burrill. The statute of Exeter, 14 Edward I., mentions entire-vills, demivills, and hamlets."  [1913 Webster]
"Not should e'er the crested fowl
From thorp or vill his matins sound for me."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vill, n. hist. a feudal township.

Etymology

AF f. OF vile, ville farm f. L (as VILLA)