colonus

American  

[kuh-loh-nuhs] / kəˈloʊ nəs /

noun

• coloni
  plural

1. a serf in the latter period of the Roman Empire or in the early feudal period.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• coloni
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of colonus

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin colōnus “inhabitant of a colony, tenant farmer, farmer,” derivative of colere “to inhabit, till, cultivate”; cf. cult, cultivate

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

colonus coloni

Then seek there a man by name of Tobias, a colonus and a worker in ivory for the good Christian priests.

From Nicanor - Teller of Tales A Story of Roman Britain by Margaret West Kinney

It has been taken to denote two degrees of servitude—the predial dependence of a colonus and the personal dependence of a true slave.

From Villainage in England Essays in English Mediaeval History by Paul Vinogradoff

As the colonus stood higher than the slave, so did the pauper, socially at any rate, free to support himself, exceed the colonus.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 8 "Chariot" to "Chatelaine" by Various

"Neither colonus nor casarius nor the son of such is he, nor even esne, whose trade might win him privileges."

From Nicanor - Teller of Tales A Story of Roman Britain by Margaret West Kinney

Phil. ii. 41, like σύνοικος; colonus, the farmer, in opp. to the landowner, Cic.

From Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes by Ludwig Döderlein

In the eyes of the government collegiati, curiales, and coloni existed solely to pay taxes for the support of the bureaucracy and the army.

From A History of Rome to 565 A. D. by Arthur Edward Romilly Boak

In the country the free agricultural laborers became coloni, a curious intermediate class, neither slave nor really free.

From An Introduction to the History of Western Europe by James Harvey Robinson

Like the curiales and corporati, the coloni tried to exchange their status by entering the public service or attaining admission to some other social class.

From A History of Rome to 565 A. D. by Arthur Edward Romilly Boak

The lord's demesne acted as a centre, round which coloni clustered—cultivators who did not divide their tenancies because they did not own them.

From Villainage in England Essays in English Mediaeval History by Paul Vinogradoff

Resemblance between the coloni and the later serfs.

From An Introduction to the History of Western Europe by James Harvey Robinson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---