Cleruchy
/ˈklɛr.əki/noun
A colony of settlers, especially in ancient Greece, whose members retained citizenship in the mother city.
Did you know?The term comes from Greek kleros, meaning a “lot” or “share,” because these settlers were effectively handed land by allocation, not by conquest alone.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
klēroukhos
“a holder of a lot; later, a settler in a cleruchy”
Ancient Greek
Greek
klēros
“a lot, share, or portion; also a cleric's benefice in later usage”
Late Greek
Greek
klēroukhia
“a settlement of lot-holding colonists”
Latin
Latin
cleruchia
“a cleruchy or body of colonist-settlers”
16th-17th Century
English
cleruchy
“an Athenian-style colony of settler-citizens retaining home citizenship”