Glebe
/ɡliːb/noun
A piece of land belonging to a parish or church, traditionally used to support its clergy.
Did you know?In medieval England, glebe land helped support priests financially, making ordinary fields part of the economic machinery of the church.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gel-
“To form into a rounded mass or clump; a proposed ancient root associated with lumps and compacted matter.”
Classical Latin
Latin
gleba
“A clod, lump of earth, soil, or a piece of cultivated land.”
Late Latin
Latin
gleba
“Church land or land assigned to support a cleric.”
Old French
Old French
glebe
“Land attached to a church benefice.”
14th Century
Middle English
glebe
“Land belonging to a parish church and providing income for its priest.”
Modern English
English
glebe
“Parish or church-owned land, especially land historically used to support clergy.”
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