primogeniture and ultimogeniture
- primogeniture and ultimogeniture
-
preference in
inheritance that is given by law, custom, or usage to the eldest son and his issue (
primogeniture) or to the youngest son (
ultimogeniture, or junior right). In exceptional cases, primogeniture may prescribe such preferential inheritance to the line of the eldest daughter. The motivation for such a practice has usually been to keep the estate of the deceased, or some part of it, whole and intact. Strict primogeniture and ultimogeniture are rare; an attenuated form in which the eldest (or youngest) son assumes the responsibility of trusteeship of the estate and of adjudicating attendant disputes has been more common.
The practices are most commonly used by agricultural peoples, especially those with increasing populations but limited amounts of land. In such cases it is often important to prevent the partitioning of land into parcels that are too small to support farming. In some cases, the designation of a sole heir has generated territorial expansion by forcing the unwilled sons to fend for themselves, a situation that has obtained at various times among Europeans and the Maori and other Polynesian peoples.
In Europe, laws forbidding the partitioning of land and decreeing its devolution upon the youngest or eldest son served as a means of preserving not only the size of the property so affected but also the power and prestige of the
aristocracy, which traditionally rested on land ownership. Thus, the practices sometimes governed succession to power and office rather than to tangible possessions.
Primogeniture probably implies, as a choice over ultimogeniture, the importance of hierarchical considerations by maintaining respect for the most advanced in age. If, on the other hand, ultimogeniture is the method of maintaining the integrity of the inheritance, the elder brothers may be compensated with privileges of authority, travel, and some form of pecuniary or material advantage; and it may be reasoned that the youngest son, having stayed the longest in the house of his father, having more years to live, and being the least likely to have established himself in the world, should be the one to whom the property falls.
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Primogeniture — is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings (compare to ultimogeniture). Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females. According to the… … Wikipedia
Ultimogeniture — Ultimogeniture, also known as postremogeniture or junior right, is the tradition of inheritance by the last born of the entirety of, or a privileged position in, a parent s wealth, estate or office. The tradition has been far rarer historically… … Wikipedia
primogeniture — Synonyms and related words: aboriginality, age, ancien regime, ancientness, antiquity, atavism, bequeathal, bequest, birthright, borough English, cobwebs of antiquity, coheirship, coparcenary, deanship, dust of ages, eld, elderliness, eldership,… … Moby Thesaurus
inheritance — /in her i teuhns/, n. 1. something that is or may be inherited; property passing at the owner s death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy. 2. the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively. 3.… … Universalium
Scotland — /skot leuhnd/, n. a division of the United Kingdom in the N part of Great Britain. 5,205,000; 30,412 sq. mi. (78,772 sq. km). Cap.: Edinburgh. * * * I Northernmost country of the United Kingdom. Area: 30,421 sq mi (78,789 sq km). Population… … Universalium
Norway — /nawr way/, n. Norwegian, Norge. a kingdom in N Europe, in the W part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. 4,404,456; 124,555 sq. mi. (322,597 sq. km). Cap.: Oslo. * * * Norway Introduction Norway Background: Despite its neutrality, Norway was not able … Universalium
primitive culture — Introduction in the lexicon of early anthropologists, any of numerous societies characterized by features that may include lack of a written language, relative isolation, small population, relatively simple social institutions and… … Universalium
Egyptian law — Law that prevailed in Egypt from с 3000 BC to с 30 BC. No formal Egyptian code of law has been preserved, but legal documents (e.g., deeds and contracts) have survived. The pharaoh was the ultimate authority in the settlement of disputes. The… … Universalium
common law — 1. the system of law originating in England, as distinct from the civil or Roman law and the canon or ecclesiastical law. 2. the unwritten law, esp. of England, based on custom or court decision, as distinct from statute law. 3. the law… … Universalium
Germany — /jerr meuh nee/, n. a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 84,068,216; 137,852 sq.… … Universalium
