HAMLET, HAMEL, or Hampfel, (from the Saxon ham, i. e. domus, and the German let, i. e. membrum), signifies a little village, or part of a village or parish; of which three words the first is now only used, though Kitchen mentions the two last. By Spelman there is a difference between villam integrum, villam dimidiam, and hamletam; and Stow expounds it to be the feat of a freeholder. Several county-towns have hamlets, as there may be several hamlets in a parish; and some
particular places may be out of a town or hamlet, though not out of the county.