Croft Tenancy
/ˈkrɒft ˌtɛnənsi/noun
A legal arrangement in which a person rents and farms a small Scottish croft, usually subject to special crofting laws.
Did you know?Scottish crofting law emerged partly from historic resistance to the Highland Clearances, when landlords evicted tenants and reorganized communal lands for more profitable sheep farming.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*kruftō
“A small enclosed or hollow place; the probable ancestor of “croft”.”
Old English
Old English
croft
“A small enclosed field or piece of cultivated land.”
Middle English
Middle English
croft
“A small enclosed field, often beside a dwelling.”
13th Century
Anglo-French
tenaunt
“A person holding land under a landlord or legal agreement.”
14th Century
Middle English
tena(u)nt
“A holder or occupier of rented land; ancestor of “tenant”.”
15th Century
English
tenancy
“The condition or legal relationship of being a tenant.”
Modern English
English
croft tenancy
“A regulated tenancy of a small agricultural holding, especially under Scottish crofting law.”