feu

A farmer signs a feu contract for his new field.

Definition

1. Noun (Scots Law):
   • A perpetual lease: "feu" refers to a legal arrangement in Scottish land law where land is held in perpetuity (forever) in exchange for an annual payment called a "feu duty." The tenant (the "feuar") has the right to use the land indefinitely, but the actual ownership remains with the superior (the landowner).
   • The land itself: "feu" can also mean the piece of land held under such a perpetual lease.

Usage Examples

• (He obtained a perpetual lease on the land.)
• (The land held under the perpetual lease contained a cottage and garden.)

Advanced Usage

• "Feu duty": the annual payment made by the feuar to the superior under a feu contract.

  • The feu duty was set at £10 per year, payable at Michaelmas. (The annual rent for the perpetual lease.)

• "Feu contract": the legal document that establishes the terms of the feu.

  • The feu contract specified the boundaries of the land. (The lease agreement.)

Variants and Related Words

• Feuar (noun): a person who holds land under a feu, i.e., a perpetual tenant.

  • The feuar was responsible for maintaining the property. (The perpetual leaseholder.)

• Feuing (noun): the system or practice of granting land under a feu.

  • The feuing of land was common in 18th-century Scotland. (The granting of perpetual leases.)

Synonyms

• Perpetual lease: a lease that lasts forever or for an indefinite period.
• Emphyteusis: a similar legal concept in Roman law where land is leased for a long term in exchange for a fixed rent.

Related Idioms

• "In feu": a legal phrase meaning land held under a perpetual lease.
  • The estate was held in feu by the local family. (The land was under a perpetual lease.)

Note: "Feu" is a technical term primarily used in Scottish legal and historical contexts. It is not commonly used in everyday English outside of Scotland or legal discussions about land tenure.