'villainous' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'villainos', where 'villain' meant 'farmhand or peasant'.

'villainos' transformed into the Middle English word 'vilainous', and eventually became the modern English word 'villainous'.

Initially, it meant 'pertaining to a farmhand or peasant', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'wicked or evil'.