township

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Old English tunscipe.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈtaʊnʃɪp/

Noun

township (plural townships)

1. The territory of a town; a subdivision of a county.
2. (South Africa, Pre 1994) An area set aside for non-white occupation.
3. (South Africa, Post 1994) A non-white (usually sub-economic) area attached to a city.
   • 1972, Daily Dispatch: "In addition, the council has completed the planning of a new Coloured township on the site of the existing African township"

Translations

territory of a town

• Czech: obec (cs) f
• Finnish: kunta (fi), kaupunki (fi)

• Icelandic: bæjarfélag n, sveitarfélag n
• Swedish: stadsdel (sv) c (part of a town), kommundel (sv) c (part of a county), småstad (sv) c (small town), liten stad (sv) c (small town)

Related terms

squatter camp

Usage notes

In the U.S., the term "township" refers to a division of a county, and may include one or more towns, villages, hamlets, or small cities. It may also be an administrative district for an unincorporated rural area. The exact nature of a township, and its role in local administration, differs from state to state.

References

1978: A Dictionary of South African English edited by Jean Branford. Oxford.