township English · revision 10766

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 890|origins=ang tūnscipe}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtaʊn.ʃɪp/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|tūnscipe|t=the inhabitants of a town]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(NODE 1998) from tūn, town (see [[town]]), and -scipe (see [[-ship]]).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The inhabitants or population of a town or village: about 890.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was applied by the mid-12th century to a manor, parish or division of a hundred as a unit of local government,^(Etymonline) 1414 in the OED for the territory itself.^(OED 1989) A local district of a large parish, each with its village and church, is from the 1530s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In the United States and Canada a township is a division of a county, attested by 1685,^(Etymonline) and in Scotland a farm held jointly (1813) or a crofting community.^(OED 1989)^(Collins 2023) In South Africa, an urban area set aside for Black residents under apartheid is from 1934.^(Etymonline)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 890 – a town's inhabitants.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-12th century – a unit of local government.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1530s – a district of a parish.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1685 – a division of a county (US).^(Etymonline)

+ * 1934 – a South African township.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(US, Canada)'' A division of a [[county]] with some powers of local government.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(South Africa)'' An urban area formerly set aside for Black residents.^(Collins 2023)^(Etymonline)

+ # A small [[town]].^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(Scotland)'' A small crofting community.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[town]]

+ * [[-ship]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}