Odal \O"dal\, n. [Cf. Icel. [=e]?al, Dan. odel allodial, Sw.
odal.] (Law)
Among the early and medieval Teutonic peoples, esp.
Scandinavians, the heritable land held by the various odalmen
constituting a family or kindred of freeborn tribesmen; also,
the ownership of such land. The odal was subject only to
certain rights of the family or kindred in restricting the
freedom of transfer or sale and giving certain rights of
redemption in case of change of ownership by inheritance,
etc., and perhaps to other rights of the kindred or the
tribe. Survivals of the early odal estates and tenure exist
in Orkney and Shetland, where it is usually called by the
variant form udal.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
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Udal \U"dal\ ([=u]"dal), n. & a. Udalborn \U"dal*born`\, Udaler
\U"dal*er\, Udalman \U"dal*man\, etc.[Icel. [=o][eth]al
allodium, an hereditary estate; akin to Sw. odal allodial,
Dan. odel.]
Vars. of Odal, etc.; property held by udal, or allodial,
right -- Obs. exc. in Shetland and the Orkney Islands, where
udal designates a freehold, land held in fee simple without
any charter and free of any feudal character.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
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