Borderies

/ˈbɔːrdəriz/ noun

Definition

Plural of bordery or borderie; clusters of small cottages or hamlets, particularly small estates or holdings in a border region.

Etymology

From 'bord' plus '-ery' (a suffix meaning a place or collection of things), referring to settlements composed of small holdings. Related to French 'borderie,' a small farm or cottage cluster.

Kelly Says

Borderies reveals the physical landscape of medieval settlement—not grand manors but humble clusters of cottages grouped together, with their own collective noun capturing how peasants lived in small communities on the margins of large estates.

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