Kaimynas (plural: kaimynai) was a class of non-free peasants in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before full-scale serfdom was established by the Wallach reform (1557).
The term describes a former prisoner of war, who was allowed to live in a village and rent a piece of land from a noble.
[2] Kaimynai and their families were allowed to form a farm, have tools, and earn their own living independently.
[3] Their situation was similar to that of šeimynykščiai as both classes were not free and dependent on the nobles.
[4] The term is derived from possessive adjective to describe a person belonging to a village (kaimas) or farmstead (kiemas).