Also 4–5 (9) courte-, 5–6 curty, 5–7 curte-, 6 corte-, 7 courtilage; 5 curt-, cortlage, 7 court-lodge, 7–9 courtledge, 9 courtlage, -lege. [a. AngloF. curtilage, OF. cor-, courtillage (med.L. cor-, curtilagium), f. cortil, courtil little court or garth, = Pr. cortil, It. cortile, med.L. cortile, curtile court, yard; f. cortis, curtis, It. corte, Pr. cort, OF. cort, curt, COURT; the suffix is the Romanic -AGE, as in village, etc. Popular etymology in 17th c. saw in it a compound of court, as court-lodge, -ledge, etc.]
A small court, yard, garth, or piece of ground attached to a dwelling-house, and forming one enclosure with it, or so regarded by the law; the area attached to and containing a dwelling-house and its out-buildings. Now mostly a legal or formal term, but in popular use in the south-west, where it is pronounced, and often written, courtledge.
[1206. Rotuli Chartarum, 163/1. Unum mesagium cum curtillag[io].
1292. Britton, III. vii. § 5. Des gardins, curtilages, columbers, et des autres issues de eynz la court.]
c. 1330. Owayn Miles, 32. This is our courtelage, And our castel tour.
1434. E. E. Wills (1882), 99. All my mesuage, with the curtylage and all the appurtenance.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 1 b. A curtylage is a lytell croft or court, or place of easment to put in catell for a tyme, or to ley in woode, cole, or tymbre, or suche other thynges necessary for housholde.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 174/1. He had gotten in within the iron doore or gate of the courtlodge all his men.
1613. Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), 158. And for his Winde-mill necessary increase of court or Courtlodge.
1649. Prynne, Demurrer to Jews’ Remitter, 36. They may buy houses and curtelages.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 225. The capital house protects and privileges all it’s branches and appurtenants, if within the curtilage or home-stall.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 211. Passing through the courtlege or farm-yards.
1855. Kingsley, Westw. Ho! II. vi. 166 (D.). At the back a rambling courtledge of barns and walls.
1882. Elton, Orig. Eng. Hist., 190. Where several houses had been built within the enclosure or curtilage of one homestead.
† b. Tillage of a croft or kitchen-garden. Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, VIII. vi. (1554), 180 b. Dioclesian … Left his craft of deluing and cortlage.
