Question

corvée noun Under the Roman Empire, certain classes of people owed personal services to the state or to private proprietors. For example, labor might be requisitioned for the maintenance of the postal systems of various regions, or landed proprietors might require tenant farmers and persons freed from slavery to perform unpaid labor on their estates. The feudal system of corvée -- regular work that vassals owed their lords -- developed from this Roman tradition. We borrowed the word "corvée" from French in the 14th century, and it ultimately traces back to the Latin word "corrogata," meaning "to collect" or "to requisition." By the 18th century, "corvée" was also being used for the unpaid or partially paid labor public authorities exacted in lieu of taxes for the construction or repair of highways, bridges, or canals. 1 : unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord2 : labor exacted in lieu of taxes by public authorities especially for highway construction or repair

Accepted Answer

June 11, 2008 KOR-vay "He was also entitled to . . . district corvées which helped to maintain, repair, and defend royal property. . .." (Bernard F. Reilly, The Medieval Spains)

Word	corvée
Date	June 11, 2008
Type	noun
Syllables	KOR-vay
Etymology	Under the Roman Empire, certain classes of people owed personal services to the state or to private proprietors. For example, labor might be requisitioned for the maintenance of the postal systems of various regions, or landed proprietors might require tenant farmers and persons freed from slavery to perform unpaid labor on their estates. The feudal system of corvée -- regular work that vassals owed their lords -- developed from this Roman tradition. We borrowed the word "corvée" from French in the 14th century, and it ultimately traces back to the Latin word "corrogata," meaning "to collect" or "to requisition." By the 18th century, "corvée" was also being used for the unpaid or partially paid labor public authorities exacted in lieu of taxes for the construction or repair of highways, bridges, or canals.
Examples	"He was also entitled to . . . district corvées which helped to maintain, repair, and defend royal property. . .." (Bernard F. Reilly, The Medieval Spains)
Definition	1 : unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord 2 : labor exacted in lieu of taxes by public authorities especially for highway construction or repair

Labor Unpaid Corvée Roman Owed Feudal Word Century