people who live in cottages, especially those in a rural or village setting, often tenant farmers or working-class residents.
From 'cottage' (a small dwelling) plus the agent suffix '-er' (one who does something), creating 'cottager' (one who lives in a cottage), with '-s' for plural.
In 18th and 19th-century England, cottagers were usually very poor—they lived in small houses and often depended on the landowner for work. Literature and art romanticized their simple life, but most faced genuine hardship.
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