Commote

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historic subdivision of a cantref in medieval Wales ; an archaic verb meaning to stir up, agitate or throw into disorder
2. An old Welsh territorial division within a larger cantref ; a rare, obsolete verb for disturbing or agitating something
3. A medieval administrative district in Wales ; a dated term meaning to unsettle, stir or disrupt a situation

Etymology: In medieval Wales, a commote was a district made up of several townships, a unit of land and local government smaller than a cantref. The Welsh name, "cwmwd" in modern spelling and "kymhwt" in Middle Welsh, literally meant "abode together," describing a community that lived together under one authority. English speakers borrowed the Welsh term to describe these districts. Because it was a borrowed term for a specific Welsh institution, the word stayed tied to Welsh history and rarely moved into general use. Its meaning has remained the same across its life in English: a precise name for a Welsh administrative division, not a loose synonym for any gathering or fuss.

Synonyms: district, division, hundred