Allodium

/əˈloʊdiəm/ noun

Definition

Land held in absolute ownership without feudal obligations or duties to a superior lord.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin allodium, from Germanic *alod- (all, complete) + -ium (property suffix). The word entered European legal vocabulary in the Middle Ages to describe the rare exceptions to feudal land tenure.

Kelly Says

Allodium is the Latin word that gave us the entire concept of owning land completely free—it comes from ancient Germanic tribes who believed land could be totally yours, an idea that shaped modern property law across the Western world.

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