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