Encommon

/ɪnˈkɑmən/ verb

Definition

To make common or to share in common; to put into common use or ownership (archaic).

Etymology

From en- (causative prefix) + common (from Latin communis, shared). The prefix en- makes it a verb meaning 'to cause to become common' or 'to make into a commons.'

Kelly Says

This forgotten verb appears in medieval English legal texts about 'encommoning' land—turning private property into shared commons. It's the opposite of modern 'enclosure,' showing how the same root (common/communis) supported both communal and private land systems.

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