How Do You Spell THIRLAGE?

Pronunciation: [θˈɜːlɪd͡ʒ] (IPA)

Thirlage is a term used in Scottish law to describe the right to grind grain at a mill. The spelling of "thirlage" is not immediately intuitive, as the "th" and "rl" sounds are not commonly found together in English. The word is spelled with the "th" sound at the beginning, which is represented in the IPA phonetic transcription as /θ/. The "rl" sound in the middle is indicated by the IPA symbol for a retroflex approximant, which is /ɻ/. Overall, the pronunciation of "thirlage" can be represented as /ˈθɪɻlɪdʒ/.

THIRLAGE Meaning and Definition

1. Thirlage, also known as thirl, is a term used in Scottish law to describe the feudal right or obligation of a miller to force the surrounding tenants to grind their grain at his mill. Dating back to medieval times, it refers to the privilege granted to a specific mill to exclusively process grain for a particular area or community.

   The word "thirlage" is derived from the Middle English term "thirl," which means to pierce or penetrate. This reflects the concept that the miller has the power to enforce this obligation upon the tenants, literally penetrating their autonomy regarding the choice of mill in which to grind their grain.

   Historically, this right was an important aspect of the feudal system, granting the miller a monopoly over milling services in a given area. The tenants were required to bring their grain exclusively to the designated mill, regardless of its distance or inconvenience. In return, the miller would be entitled to charge a fee or percentage of the resulting flour as compensation for their services.

   While thirlage was abolished in England during the 19th century, it remained in effect in some parts of Scotland until the early 2000s, when the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act was enacted, formally extinguishing this archaic feudal right.

   In sum, thirlage refers to the feudal obligation of tenants to bring their grain exclusively to a designated mill for milling, with the miller having the legal right to enforce this obligation.

Common Misspellings for THIRLAGE

• rhirlage
• fhirlage
• ghirlage
• yhirlage
• 6hirlage
• 5hirlage
• tgirlage
• tbirlage
• tnirlage
• tjirlage
• tuirlage
• tyirlage
• thurlage
• thjrlage
• thkrlage
• thorlage
• th9rlage
• th8rlage
• thielage
• thidlage

Etymology of THIRLAGE

The word "thirlage" originated from medieval Scottish law and is closely tied to the agricultural system. Its etymology can be traced back to the Old English word "thyrlian", meaning "to pierce" or "to bore through". In ancient times, when a mill was built, the landowners would claim the exclusive right to the tenants' services, requiring them to have their grain ground only at their mill. This practice involved piercing or marking the grain of the farmers, indicating their obligation to bring their crops specifically to that mill. Over time, "thyrlian" evolved into the Middle English word "thrill", and subsequently morphed into "thirlage". Today, the term is primarily used to refer to the obsolete feudal practice of an obligatory attachment between land and a particular mill.

Plural form of THIRLAGE is THIRLAGES