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Archiver > PolandBorderSurnames > 2004-09 > 1095175258


From: <>
Subject: Re: meaning of _hortulanus_
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:21:17 -0500
References: <1a8.2892f7b2.2e76dfae@aol.com>


Hi!

Phyllis <> answered the question about _hortulanus_ as
follows:

> I recently learned that hortulanus means gardener- not as we think of it
> in
> the US. today, but "a peasant farmer who owned a house with a small piece
> of
> land and garden and usually a small stock of farm animals". It is one of
> the
> many clasifications of farmer designated by the priest of the village. It
> helped
> to indicate social status. Many thanks to the expert, Fred Hoffman who I
> quoted on this definition :-)

You are welcome, Phyllis. And let me thank you for proving at least one
person learned something from my talk on translating Latin at PGSA's
Conference! Sometimes when I'm standing up there babbling away, I can't help
but wonder "Is anyone getting any of this?" That's especially true when I'm
talking after lunch and folks are fighting to stay awake (and in many cases
losing the fight). So it's really encouraging when a note like this proves
yes, someone did get it!

The designation _hortulanus_ is one we see a lot in Latin-language parish
records. As Phyllis said, it means basically "gardener," but means something
slightly different from that term's English meaning. It indicated that a
peasant owned some land, big enough for a decent-sized garden -- but not
enough to support a family. So a _hortulanus_ could grow some of the food
his family needed, and maybe had an ox or goat or cow; but he probably had
to do extra work, often in the fields of a wealthier peasant, to make ends
meet. Still, anyone who had ANY land was better than the many peasants who
had no land and had to hire themselves out as day-laborers.

Hope that helps a little (and thanks, Phyllis!).

Fred Hoffman




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