yeoman

What it means

1. UKAn official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder).
2. USA dependable, diligent, or loyal worker or someone who does a great service.
3. historicalA former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing.

   This model of production costs might alternatively be derived from a yeoman farmer model, in which households supply goods directly[.]

   2003, Michael Woodford, Interest and Prices, →ISBN, page 150

In a sentence

This model of production costs might alternatively be derived from a yeoman farmer model, in which households supply goods directly[.]

2003, Michael Woodford, Interest and Prices, →ISBN, page 150

Where it comes from

1. Proto-West Germanic*gawamann
2. Old English*ġēamann
3. Middle Englishyeman
4. Englishyeoman

From Middle English yeman, yoman, of disputed etymology: * From Old English *ġēamann, from Proto-West Germanic *gawamann, variant of *gauwjamann (compare Old Frisian gāman (“villager”), Middle High German göuman (“peasant”)), compound of Proto-West Germanic *gawi (“shire, district”) (compare Old English -ġē, -ġēa (“district, region”) (in ælġē, Sūþriġēa), West Frisian gea, goa, Dutch gouw, German Gau) + *mann (“man”). * A contraction of yong man; compare dialectal yeomath (“aftermath”) for a possible parallel.