What is the different between serf and peasant?

Answer 1

In modern parlance they are used interchangeably for the same thing; the difference is in their origins. The word peasant comes from Anglo-Norman French paisant, meaning a countryman, a rural villager. The word serf is from Latin servus which means a servant or slave (in medieval times it was used to describe any non-noble person).

Medieval class structure had many more specific and precise legal terms for various levels of non-noble workers, many of which are not clearly understood today:

cotter/cottar/cottager was a peasant of lower status than a villain, but of unknown legal status

cotset was another type of peasant lower than a villain

bordar was another type of peasant below villain

villan/villain/tunsman was a peasant of slightly higher economic status living in a village. Notionally not a free peasant because subject to the manorial rules and court

colibert/freedman was a former slave who had been given his or her freedom and a small piece of land

freeman was a non-noble landholder who had many more rights and higher status than most other peasants; they were later termed yeomen

serjant (plural serjantz) was a wide class of non-noble tenants who gave specific services in return for holding land and property. They included most town-dwelling craftsmen such as carpenters, butchers, bakers and wealthy merchants, but also a separate class of non-noble professional soldiers who wore armour and could own horses but were not knights. Some served as crossbowmen and archers. All serjantz were required by law to have specific military kit such as armour, helmet and spear so they could act as local militia if required.

Answer 2

All serfs were peasants, but not all peasants were serfs.

A serf and a peasant were both of the lowest classes in feudal society. In general they were agricultural workers. The serfs, however, had some obligations and measures of security that not all peasants had.

Serfs were bound to the soil they lived on. They were not legally permitted to leave it, and they were not permitted to change their ways. They got a place to live, and a plot to farm, and protection. In exchange for this they had to work part of the time for their lords or give the lords part of their crops.

Peasants who were not serfs included share croppers, who did not have quite has high an amount of obligation, but did not have as much security. For example, if a manor were sold, the new lord would have the right to move free peasants off his property, but he would not have the right to move the serfs off.

Things were a little different then.