Word of the Day

: June 11, 2008

corvée

noun KOR-vay

What It Means

1 : unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord

2 : labor exacted in lieu of taxes by public authorities especially for highway construction or repair

corvée in Context

"He was also entitled to . . . district corvées which helped to maintain, repair, and defend royal property. . .." (Bernard F. Reilly, The Medieval Spains)

Did You Know?

Under the Roman Empire, certain classes of people owed personal services to the state or to private proprietors. For example, labor might be requisitioned for the maintenance of the postal systems of various regions, or landed proprietors might require tenant farmers and persons freed from slavery to perform unpaid labor on their estates. The feudal system of corvée -- regular work that vassals owed their lords -- developed from this Roman tradition. We borrowed the word "corvée" from French in the 14th century, and it ultimately traces back to the Latin word "corrogata," meaning "to collect" or "to requisition." By the 18th century, "corvée" was also being used for the unpaid or partially paid labor public authorities exacted in lieu of taxes for the construction or repair of highways, bridges, or canals.