Pronunciation: [kəɹˈɒdi] (IPA) 
The word "corrody" is spelled with a double 'o' and a 'y' at the end. In IPA phonetic transcription, it would be written as /ˈkɒrədi/. This word refers to a medieval practice in which a person was granted a right to receive food, clothing, or shelter from a monastery or noble's estate. The spelling of this word may seem unusual, but it reflects the word's origin from the Latin word "corrodere" which means "to gnaw away."
A corrody refers to a legal arrangement or grant made during medieval times, primarily in Europe, where a monastery or religious institution provided sustenance, often in the form of food or lodging, to an individual in return for specific services rendered to the institution. The term "corrody" is derived from the Latin "corrodo," meaning to wear away or consume.
In practical terms, a corrody granted the beneficiary the right to receive certain designated goods or services for the remainder of their life. These benefits typically included provisions such as an allocation of grain, wine, or other staple food items, as well as accommodation within the religious institution. The primary purpose of extending a corrody was to secure a perpetual income for the grantee, often during their retirement or old age.
Corrodies were usually granted by religious organizations as a form of charitable assistance to individuals who had contributed to the institution in some significant way. This might include benefactors who made substantial donations or individuals who had undertaken religious or administrative responsibilities for the institution. Corrodies effectively ensured the long-term financial stability of the religious institution and fostered loyalty from those they had granted this privilege.
Over time, corrody arrangements declined as changes occurred in medieval society, including shifts in social and economic systems, such as the dissolution of monasteries during the Reformation. The term "corrody" now remains primarily within legal and historical context, representing a contractual agreement that provided ongoing sustenance and services to an individual in exchange for their contributions to a religious institution.
The word "corrody" is derived from the Latin term "corrodium", which means "a corroding, wearing away, or consuming". The Latin word is itself derived from the verb "corrodere", which means "to gnaw or wear away". In the context of the term "corrody", it refers to a medieval and early modern legal right or provision that entitled certain individuals, such as former servants or monks, to receive regular provisions or support from a religious house or noble. Over time, the term "corrody" has come to refer to the payment or provision itself.
