Cottier (Noun)
Meaning
A medieval English villein.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The cottier was required to work a certain number of days per year on the lord's demesne in exchange for protection and the right to farm his own land.
- As a cottier, he was bound to the land and could not leave the manor without the lord's permission.
- The cottier's smallholding was barely enough to support his family, and he often had to supplement his income by working as a laborer on neighboring farms.
- In return for his labor, the cottier was entitled to a small plot of land, known as a cottage, and the right to graze his animals on the lord's common land.
- The cottier's status was higher than that of a serf, but lower than that of a freeman, and he was subject to the lord's will in many matters.