Shifting Cultivation
/ˈʃɪf.tɪŋ ˌkʌl.tɪˈveɪ.ʃən/noun
An agricultural system in which land is cultivated temporarily and then left fallow while farmers move to another plot.
Did you know?The root of “cultivation” is Latin colere, meaning both “to till the soil” and “to worship,” giving modern agriculture an unexpectedly ritualistic linguistic ancestry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwel-
“To move around, turn, or revolve; the proposed deep root behind several later agricultural and social terms.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyklos
“Circle or wheel; a related formation expressing circular movement and cyclical return.”
Classical Latin
Latin
colere
“To inhabit, tend, till, cultivate, or worship; the source of the English root in “cultivation.””
Classical Latin
Latin
cultivare
“To till or prepare land; a later agricultural form derived from cultus, the participle of colere.”
Middle English
English
cultivacioun
“Cultivation, especially the working or improvement of land; borrowed through Anglo-French and Old French.”
16th Century
English
shifting
“Moving or changing position; the present participle of shift, from an earlier Germanic verb meaning to arrange, divide, or change.”
Modern English
English
shifting cultivation
“A recognized farming system involving temporary cultivation of plots followed by fallowing and movement to other land.”