Achage

/əˈtʃɑdʒ/ noun

Definition

An archaic or obsolete term for a feudal tax or payment owed to a lord, or possibly payment for use of land.

Etymology

From Old French achage, possibly derived from medieval tax terminology. The exact origin is uncertain, but relates to various feudal payment systems in medieval Europe.

Kelly Says

Medieval peasants paid so many different taxes with weird names—achage, tallage, tithe—that linguists can track the feudal system's complexity just by counting how many words they needed to describe different ways to extract money from farmers.

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