FEUD (Feoda), Food, Fief, or Fee. See FEODAL SYSTEM.
Feuds are called by various names, according to their respective natures; as, FEUDUM Antiquum, a feud descending to a son, &c. from his ancestors. FEUDUM Apertum, a feud resulting back again to the lord of the fee; where the blood of the person last seized in fee-simple is utterly extinct and gone. FEUDUM Honorarium, (and Feudum individuum), an honorary feud, or title of nobility, of an indivisible nature, and descendible to the eldest son in exclusion of all the rest. FEUDUM Improprium, an improper or derivative feud; and feuda impropria, are all such feuds as do not fall within the description of feuda propria. FEUDUM Maternum, a feud descending to the son from the mother. FEUDUM Novum, a feud newly acquired by the son; to which, in ancient times, only the descendants from his body could succeed, by the known maxims of the early feudal constitutions. FEUDUM Novum, held ut antiquum; descendible in the same manner as a feudum novum. FEUDUM Paternum, a feud descendible from father to son. FEUDUM Proprium, a proper feud distinguished from an improper, which are the two grand divisions.