Subfeudations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An arrangement in which a feudal tenant grants portions of land to others while retaining primary allegiance to a superior lord
2. A system whereby a tenant holds land from one landlord and further leases it to sub-tenants
3. A method of land distribution in feudal society where the subordinate holder has limited rights compared to their overlord

Etymology: "Subfeudations" is the plural of "subfeudation," a noun for land granted by a tenant to someone else, typically a holder who was himself a vassal of a feudal lord. The base "feudation" is a grant of land in feudal tenure, formed on "feud," a fief, which came into English from Medieval Latin "feodum" and is ultimately of Germanic origin. The prefix "sub-" from Latin adds the sense of a grant made beneath the original lord, so a subfeudation is a lower layer in a chain of feudal obligations.

Synonyms: subinfeudations, subtenancies, vassalages