trefältig

Trefältig is a Swedish adjective meaning “having three fields” or “characterized by a three-field organization.” It is closely related to the historical term trefältig and is sometimes used interchangeably with that form in older texts. The word derives from tre (three) and fält (field) with the suffix -ig indicating a characteristic.

In agrarian history, trefältig describes the three-field crop rotation system that divided arable land into three separate fields. In a typical arrangement, one field was sown with winter crops, a second with spring or summer crops, and the third left fallow to recover soil fertility. Each year the fields shifted roles, so no field remained permanently cultivated. The system aimed to stabilize yields, improve soil nutrients, and manage weeds and pests more effectively than earlier two-field schemes.

Geographically, three-field rotations were widely used across medieval Europe, including parts of Scandinavia, and persisted from roughly the early Middle Ages into the late medieval period in many regions. Over time, agricultural reforms and changes in land tenure—especially the development of four-field rotation and later enclosure—led to the gradual decline of strict trefältig practices in favor of more intensive or consolidated systems.

Today, trefältig is mainly encountered in historical or scholarly discussions of medieval agriculture. In contemporary Swedish, the more common modern term for this concept is trefältig, with trefältig appearing primarily in older literature or formal historical descriptions. See also crop rotation and three-field system.