[a. med.L. al-, allōdium (frequent in Domesday Book,) f. Ger. *alôd, allôd, ‘entire property,’ found in the Salic Law in latinized form alod-is, ‘in W.Goth. documents alaudes’ (Diez), f. ALL + OLG. ôd (OHG. ôt, OE. eád, ON. auðr), ‘estate, property, wealth’ (Goth. *auds in audags, OE. eádiʓ wealthy, fortunate, happy). With allōdium cf. med.L. clenōdium a trinket, f. Ger. kleinod, lit. a ‘little piece of property.’ Occasionally englished as AL(L)OD, AL(L)ODY. Usage varies, in this word and its derivatives, between al- and all-. In med.L., forms in al- are more usual.] An estate held in absolute ownership without service or acknowledgement of any superior, as among the early Teutonic peoples; opposed to feudum or feud.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 1 b. For in the law of England we have not properly Allodium, that is any subject’s land that is not holden, unlesse you will take Allodium for Ex solido, as it is often taken in the Booke of Domesday. Ibid., 5 a. In Domesday, Alodium (in a large sense) signifieth a free mannor.
a. 1660. Hammond, Serm., in Wks. IV. 1684, 498 (T.). Allodium, not from any ἀλλ’ ὲκ Διὸς but from God, (as the Lawyers have derived that word).
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Allodium and patrimonium are frequently used indiscriminately.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., I. 77. Allodium, land held in full propriety.
