An archaic or obsolete term, possibly meaning descent from a feudal holding or the act of surrendering a title.
The etymology is uncertain; possibly from Old French with 'de-' (down/away) + 'val' (value/validity), but this word is so rare that its origins are difficult to trace definitively.
This word is so obscure that even comprehensive dictionaries struggle to explain it clearly—it's a linguistic ghost, appearing in historical documents but leaving almost no trace of clear meaning, making it a researcher's nightmare!
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