Feudal Antiq. Also cotterell, -ill. [a. OF. coterel, med.L. coterellus, dim. of OF. cotier, med.L. cotārius, coterius, the occupant of a cota or cot. Cf. COTERIE.] A cottar, a cottager.
[c. 1086. Domestay Bk. (Du Cange), Septem villani quisque de una virgata, § 16 coterelli, & 2 servi.
1289. Charter, in Kennett, Par. Antiq., I. 439. Una cum villanis, coterellis, corum catallis, serviciis, sectis et sequelis.]
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 97 (MSS. G & I). These were almes … to comfortie suche coterels [other MSS. cotyers]. Ibid., 193 (MS. I). As coterels þei lybben.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 96/1. Coterelle.
1560. in Crossraguel Chart. (1886), I. 120. His and thair subtennentis, cottrallis, servandis, and assignayes.
1866. J. E. Thorold Rogers, in Macm. Mag., XIII. 252/1. Besides these villains, there are 8 coterells or cottagers, four of whom are women, and probably widows.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. iv. 75. There are nine coterells, each holding a cottage, and most of them an acre of land.
¶ Applied (erroneously) to the tenement.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, Coshe or Coterell in old English, is the same that a Cottage, or a little house. [Hence in Phillips, 1657–1706.]
c. 1640. J. Smyth, Lives Berkeleys (1883), I. 193. Each Copiholder of a yard land, halfe yard land, farrundle, and Cotterell.
