courtledge

English

Alternative forms

• courtlage

Etymology

A variant of curtilage.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔːtlɪd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɹtlɪd͡ʒ/

Noun

courtledge (plural courtledges)

1. (dialectal, especially West Country, obsolete) A small personal garden surrounding a house; a curtilage.
   • 1710 July 10, George Daniell, “Abstract of the Will of George Daniell […] ”, in John S. Amery, Maxwell Adams, E. Windeatt, H Tapley-Soper, editors, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries‎^[1], volume 6, J.G. Commin, published 1911, page 75:

     […] and the House and Courtledge now in the possession of Cicely Benver, Widow for her life. (Except a small part thereof given by me by Deed to my Kinsman Elisha Paynter) […]

   • 1855, Charles Kingsley, “How Salvation Yeo Slew the King of the Gubbings”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 113:

     […] and at the back a rambling courtledge of barns and walls, around which pigs and bare-foot children grunted in loving communion of dirt.

   • 1898, Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, “The Second Ship”, in I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter's Tales‎^[2], Scribner, page 27:

     The house, a square, two-storied building, of gray stone, roofed with heavy slates, was guarded in front by a small courtlage […]