ryot

English

Etymology

17th century. From Hindi रैयत (raiyat, “peasant”), from Urdu رعیت (ra'iyat, “peasant”), from Classical Persian رَعِیَّت (ra'iyyat, “population, peasants”), from Arabic رَعِيَّة (raʕiyya, “flock, herd”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪ.ɪt/, /ˈɹaɪ.ət/
• Rhymes: -aɪət
• Homophone: riot

Noun

ryot (plural ryots)

1. (India) A farmer or tiller of the soil.
   • 1874, J. Westland, A Report on the District of Jessore: Its Antiquities, Its History, and Its Commerce:

     We have seen, however, how the condition arose, namely, that the Government at first half-intended to make a permanent settlement direct with the ryots, but subsequently altered its intention and devolved this duty upon the zemindars.

   • 1887, Thomas Stevens, chapter III, in Around the World on a Bicycle‎, Vol. II: From Teheran to Yokohama, London: Sampson Low […] :

     Scattered about the grazing and arable country are now small towers of refuge, loop-holed for defense, to which ryots working in the fields, or shepherds tending their flocks, fled for safety in case of a sudden appearance of Turcoman marauders.

   • 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 28:

     They are simply the rank and file — the food for fever — sharing with the ryot and the plough-bullock the honor of being the plinth on which the State rests.

Alternative forms

• raiyot, riat

References

• “ryot”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Tory, Troy, tory, troy, tyro

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

ryot

1. alternative form of riot

Etymology 2

Verb

ryot

1. alternative form of rioten