Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A habitant is someone who either held land in feudal tenure from a seignior in French law or is a native of Canada with French ancestry, particularly from a farming background.
Definition: A habitant is a person who either holds land in feudal tenure from a seignior according to French law or a native of Canada of French descent, especially one from the farming class.
The examples illustrate the two different meanings of the term habitant. The first example shows how the term was used in feudal France, while the second example shows how it was used in Canada to refer to French-speaking farmers.