Legal Definitions - paravail

Definition: Paravail (par-uh-vayl) is an adjective used in Law French that means "at the bottom." In historical context, it refers to a tenant who holds land from another tenant.

Example 1: John is a paravail tenant who rents a small piece of land from Mary, who is a larger tenant. John pays rent to Mary and is responsible for maintaining the land he rents.

Example 2: In medieval times, paravail tenants were often poor farmers who rented small plots of land from wealthy landowners. They were at the bottom of the feudal system and had little power or influence.

These examples illustrate how paravail tenants were lower in status and had less control over their land than larger tenants or landowners. They were often dependent on their landlords for protection and support.