A tenth part or tithe; historically, a tax or levy equal to one-tenth of something (especially agricultural produce or income), used in medieval and church contexts.
From Latin 'decima' meaning 'tenth,' derived from 'decem' (ten). The term was heavily used in medieval taxation and religious law, particularly for church tithes, and has been preserved in some legal and religious contexts.
Medieval church tithes were literally called 'decimas'—parishioners owed the church exactly one-tenth of their crops or income, making the Latin word for 'ten' directly connected to both religion and taxation. It's why 'decimation' (destroying one in ten soldiers) uses the same root—the Romans killed every tenth man.
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