Tillage
/ˈtɪl.ɪdʒ/noun
The preparation of land for growing crops, especially by plowing and cultivating.
Did you know?Tillage comes from the same ancient root as words meaning “to draw” or “pull,” because early farming was literally about dragging tools through the soil to force the land to yield.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tel-
“to lift, pull, or draw”
Latin
Latin
tollere
“to lift, raise, take away”
Late Latin
Latin
cultivāre
“to cultivate, tend land”
Old French
Old French
tilier / tilage
“cultivation of land”
Middle English
English
tillage
“cultivation of land; the act of preparing soil for crops”
Modern English
English
tillage
“preparation of land for growing crops”
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