Pronunciation: [mˌɛtəɹˈa͡ɪəz] (IPA) 
The word "metayers" is a term used in agriculture to describe farmers who work land owned by others and pay for use of that land with a share of their crops. The spelling of "metayers" can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription as /mɛˈtɛərz/. This includes a typical French accent for the "e" in "met" and a short "a" in the second syllable. The "er" ending indicates a plural form in English.
Metayers, also known as sharecroppers, are individuals who engage in a system of agricultural production characterized by a partnership between landowners and farmers. In this traditional method, the landowner provides the land, while the farmer, known as the metayer, contributes labor and resources to cultivate the land.
The agreement between a metayer and the landowner typically involves splitting the harvest output. Usually, the metayer receives a predetermined percentage of the harvest, while the landowner retains the remaining share. This arrangement aims to distribute the risks and rewards of agricultural production between the two parties.
Metayers historically played a significant role in the agricultural economies of several regions worldwide, particularly during the pre-industrial era. This system prevailed in feudal societies, where landowners often held vast estates but required labor and expertise to farm the land effectively.
The metayer system offered farmers the opportunity to access land and share in the agricultural output without the initial capital investment to purchase land outright. While this system allowed for greater social mobility, it also carried certain limitations and potential burdens for the metayer, mainly due to their dependency on external factors, such as natural disasters or market fluctuations, which directly impacted their share of the harvest.
Although the metayer system has diminished over time due to changes in agricultural practices and land ownership systems, it remains an important historical concept in understanding the dynamics between landowners and farmers in traditional agricultural societies.
The word "metayers" is derived from the French term "métayage", which ultimately comes from the Latin word "mediārius", meaning "one who stands in the middle" or "agent".
In rural France, during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, the landowners would enter into a contract agreement with peasants or laborers known as "métayers". Under this arrangement, the metayers would work on the land owned by the landowner, typically providing a share of the crops or income produced as rent or payment.
Over time, this term was also adopted in other countries, often with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation, to describe similar systems of sharecropping or tenant farming.
