Old Law. Also 6 carewe, (7– erron. carve). [a. ONF. carue (mod.F. charrue = Pr. carruga, It. carruca):—L. carrūca (med.L. carrūca, carrūga, carrūa), used already in the Salic Law in the sense ‘plow.’ See note to CARUCATE. Mod.F. charrue is both plow and plow-land (or carucate), whence the Eng. use.
The spelling carve is a blunder of transcription, after the differentiation of u and v, owing to the fact that v was right before e in most words, e.g., carve, starve, serve.]
A plow-land or CARUCATE.
[1292. Britton, III. xxi. § 1. Une carue de terre ove les apurtenaunces (one carucate of lande with the appurtunences.)]
1593. Norden, Spec. Brit. M’sex, I. 5. The vsuall account of lande at this day in Englande is by acres, yardes, carewes, hydes, knightes fees, cantrods, baronies and counties.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, II. vii. 60. A Plow-land or Carue of land … is said to containe 4 Yard-land at 30 acres to the Yard-land.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 173 b. If a man bee seised in fee of a carue of Land by iust title.
1642. W. Bird, Mag. Honor, 155. A Carve of land, or Plow land.
1670. Blount, Law Dict., Carrucate or Carve of Land.
