Word of the Day

: December 14, 2020

homage

noun AH-mij

What It Means

1 a : a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord

b : the relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal

c : an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations due from a vassal to a feudal lord

2 a : expression of high regard : respect

b : something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : tribute

homage in Context

One scene in the movie was clearly an homage to the director's mentor and idol.

"Seeing Cobb Vanth ride what looked like one of the engines from Anakin Skywalker's podracer is an entirely different thing. It's these small Easter eggs that make the show so great. 'Mandalorian' pays homage to the past without fully making it a recap of the previous shows." — Herb Scribner, The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), 30 Oct. 2020

Did You Know?

The root of homage is homo-, the Latin root meaning "man." In medieval times, a king's male subject could officially become the king's man (or vassal) by publicly announcing allegiance to the monarch in a formal ceremony. In that ritual, known as homage, the subject knelt and placed his hands between those of his lord, symbolically surrendering himself and putting himself at the lord's disposal and under his jurisdiction. A bond was thus forged between the two; the vassal's part was to revere and serve his lord, and the lord's role was to protect the vassal and his family.