Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tax levied for the purpose of paving streets: Historically, "pavage" referred to a specific tax or toll collected to fund the construction or maintenance of paved roads.
   • The act or process of paving: "Pavage" can also denote the action or work of laying down a hard surface, such as cobblestones or bricks, to create a road or pathway.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Tax):

  • The medieval town council imposed a pavage to fund the cobbling of the main market street.
  • Records show that the pavage was collected from merchants using the trade route.

• Noun (Act of Paving):

  • The pavage of the old square took nearly two years to complete.
  • He oversaw the pavage of the courtyard with smooth flagstones.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Legal Context: The term is primarily used in historical, legal, or municipal contexts when discussing old taxes or urban development.
  • The charter granted the right to collect pavage for a period of ten years.

Variants and Related Words

• Pave (verb): To cover a surface with a hard material like stone or asphalt.
  • The city plans to pave the dirt road next year.
• Paving (noun): The material used to pave a surface, or the paved surface itself.
  • The new paving in the pedestrian zone is very attractive.
• Pavement (noun): A hard surface for a road, path, or area; in British English, it commonly means the sidewalk.
  • He tripped on the uneven pavement.

Synonyms

• Paving tax (for the tax meaning).
• Surfacing or road-making (for the act of paving).

Notes on Usage

• Archaic Term: "Pavage" is now considered an archaic or highly specialized term. In modern English, the words "paving" (for the action/material) or specific terms like "road tax" or "toll" are far more common.
• Context is Key: The meaning is entirely dependent on context. It will almost always be found in historical documents or discussions about historical urban planning.

Noun

1. the act of applying paving materials to an area
2. a tax toward paving streets