Allodium

Land held absolutely in one’s own right, and not of any lord or superior; land not subject to feudal duties or burdens. An estate held by absolute ownership, without recognizing any superior to whom

alodium, alodum, /. superior; hence, owing no rent,

Alodium, Alodum, Alode. L. Ijat. [Fr. alleu, aleu^ In feudal law. Free, absolute or independent ownership; a free estate, (prcsdium liberum;) property held in absolute dominion, without owing any rent, fealty or service to any superior, (nulli servituti obnoxium; ) every man's own land, held of no one, and of which he has the absolute property.* 2 £1. Com. 105. Spelman, voc. Aloarius. The opposite of feudum, (feud or fief,) which always implies tenure or service. 1 Steph. Com. 161. 3 Kent's Com. 488. 1 Bobertson's Charles V„ Appendix, note viii. See Feudum, Beneficium. The ety^mology of this word has been variously given. Spelman conjectures it to be derived either from Sax. a, to, and lead, people; belonging to the people (pqpularis,) because freely ahenable from one to another; or from a, without, and leod, or leud, a vassal; without vassalage, service or burden. Blackstone considers it the same as odh al, in the Northern languages, (odh, property, and al, all,) with th^ syllable transposed, allodh; and hence signifying entire or absolute property. 2 M. Vom. 45, note (/.) Dr. Robertson adopts Wachter's derivation, from an, and lot, that is, land obtained by lot Hist. Charles V,, Appendix, note viii.