Buttal

/ˈbʌtəl/ noun

Definition

A historical legal or surveying term for a boundary line or limit of a piece of land; the end or edge of a property.

Etymology

From Middle English and Old French butal, related to butte (a hillock or raised feature). The word comes from Latin buttis, referring to an endpoint or abutment.

Kelly Says

In medieval property disputes, buttals were crucial—describing 'the north buttal adjoins the king's forest' was how people established land ownership before modern surveys, and many property deeds still reference ancient buttals.

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