Crofting Community
/ˈkrɒf.tɪŋ kəˈmjuː.nə.ti/noun
A Scottish rural community organized around crofting, a traditional system of small leased agricultural holdings.
Did you know?Modern crofting law preserves traces of Scotland’s historic struggle over land, especially the Highland Clearances and the campaign for crofters’ security of tenure.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
croft
“A small enclosed field or piece of agricultural land, especially near a dwelling.”
Middle English
Middle English
croft
“A small enclosed plot or little farm.”
18th Century
Scots English
crofting
“The practice of working a small agricultural holding, usually held under lease.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“A root associated with changing, exchanging, or sharing; it lies behind the Latin family that produced communis.”
Classical Latin
Latin
commūnis
“Common, shared by all, or belonging to a community.”
Middle English
Anglo-French/English
communité
“A body of people sharing a common life or social organization.”
Modern English
English
crofting community
“A Scottish community connected through the shared social, economic, and legal traditions of crofting.”