A fine paid by a tenant or bondsman to his overlord for the right to give his daughter in marriage.
Origin
Middle English. Probably from Old Welsh merched, plural of merch daughter, girl, wife, perhaps via Anglo-Norman merchet or post-classical Latin mercheta, merchetum, marchettum.
Definition of merchet in US English:
merchet
nounˈməːtʃɪt
Feudal Law historical, archaic
A fine paid by a tenant or bondsman to his overlord for the right to give his daughter in marriage.
Origin
Middle English. Probably from Old Welsh merched, plural of merch daughter, girl, wife, perhaps via Anglo-Norman merchet or post-classical Latin mercheta, merchetum, marchettum.