serfdom, n.Definitions

Serfdom (n.) did ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not give rise to the corvée; the corvée gave rise to serfdom.

Serfdom (n.) became ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠visible to the serfs only when the nobility closed ranks: each serf had lived his lot as a personal accident, until the nobility's self-definition showed serfs their interchangeability and common impotence.

Serfdom (n.) serves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as the all-purpose cause: crime attributed to habits ingrained by ages of serfdom and the lack of appropriate institutions — and greeted with applause.

Serfdom (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠"souls as serfs!" is already an expression one must look up in a dictionary; these things of a bygone day are unintelligible to us.