borough-English

[ bur-oh-ing-glish or, often, -lish, buhr- ]
/ ˈbɜr oʊˈɪŋ glɪʃ or, often, -lɪʃ, ˈbʌr- /

noun

(formerly, in some parts of England) a custom by which the youngest son inherited the entire estate upon the death of his father.

Origin of borough-English

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example sentences from the Web for borough-english

  • From this nefarious degradation of woman the custom of Borough-English arose, the youngest son becoming the heir.

    Woman, Church & State |Matilda Joslyn Gage

British Dictionary definitions for borough-english

borough-English

noun

English law (until 1925) a custom in certain English boroughs whereby the youngest son inherited land to the exclusion of his older brothers Compare primogeniture, gavelkind

Word Origin for borough-English

C14: from Anglo-French tenure en burgh Engloys tenure in an English borough; so called because the custom was unknown in France