In feudal and medieval agriculture, the system of renting land or the fee paid for the right to farm land.
From Old French 'fermage,' derived from 'fermer' (to lease or rent), which comes from Latin 'firmare' (to make firm, to establish). It reflects the economic relationship between landowners and tenant farmers.
The word 'fermage' encodes an entire feudal relationship—it's not just rent, but the formal right to work someone else's land, showing how language carries the structure of historical power systems.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.