gavelkind

1) A system of inheritance whereby a tenant's lands were divided equally amongst his sons.

This was originally the name of a land tenure that existed chiefly in Kent, where it referred like gabulage to payments by rent or fixed services. From an early date though the word came to be associated with the system of inheritance whereby a tenant’s lands were divided equally amongst his sons or, failing male heirs, amongst his daughters. From the sixteenth century this meaning was used far more widely and it gave rise to an amusing piece of ‘popular’ etymology. Because of the equal division of the land within the family, gavelkind was mistakenly interpreted as ‘gave all kin’ and this influenced some spellings.

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