Curiage

/ˈkjʊərɪdʒ/ noun

Definition

A feudal duty or obligation, especially the right of a landowner to demand labor or payment from tenants.

Etymology

From Old French 'curiage,' derived from Latin 'cura' meaning 'care' or 'concern,' plus the suffix '-age.' It refers to medieval obligations that arose from the relationship between lord and tenant.

Kelly Says

Curiage was basically a lord's ability to collect fees and labor from his subjects—one of the ways the feudal system made inequality official and systematic across medieval Europe.

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