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Simple English definitions for legal terms
colibertus
Read a random definition: law of capture
A quick definition of colibertus:
Colibertus: A person who was once a slave but was freed, but still had to do some work for their former owner. They were not completely free, but not completely a slave either. They were in between. They were called coliberti or colliberti.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Colibertus (kol-i-bər-təs) is a term from Law Latin that refers to a serf who has been nominally freed but is still subject to certain servile conditions. They occupy a position in society between servile and free tenants.
Example: A colibertus would be a serf who has been granted some freedom but is still required to provide certain services to their lord, such as working on the lord's land for a specified number of days each year.
Explanation: The example illustrates the definition of colibertus because it shows that although the serf has been granted some freedom, they are still required to provide certain services to their lord. This means that they are not completely free and still occupy a position between servile and free tenants.
Related term: Socage is a type of lay tenure in which a tenant held lands in exchange for providing the lord husbandry-related service. Free socage is socage in which the services were both certain and honorable, while villein socage is socage in which the services, though certain, were of a baser nature than those provided under free socage.