The possession or occupancy of land or property as a tenant under a lease agreement. Also refers to the period of time during which such occupation occurs.
From Anglo-French 'tenauncie' derived from Latin 'tenere' meaning 'to hold'. Developed in medieval legal systems to describe various forms of land holding under feudalism, later evolving into modern rental law concepts.
The feudal origins of this word reveal how our modern rental system evolved from medieval relationships where 'holding' land came with complex obligations to lords. Today's tenant-landlord relationships are simplified descendants of these intricate feudal hierarchies.
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