A Hamlet Is a Village Without a Church
A hamlet is a very small settlement. In England the traditional test is whether it has a church of its own.
A hamlet is a settlement smaller than a village. The traditional English distinction is ecclesiastical rather than numerical: a village has its own church, a hamlet does not and depends on a neighbouring parish. The word is a double diminutive, from Old French *hamelet*, a little little home.
- A very small settlement. *A remote hamlet.*
- Hamlet — Shakespeare's prince. *A production of Hamlet.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hamlet | A quiet hamlet. |
| Plural | hamlets | Scattered hamlets. |
| Related | village | A large village. |
| Related | home | A family home. |
| Related | hamlet (Danish) | Amleth, the legend. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The hamlet has no shop or church.The traditional definition.
- Tower Hamlets is a London borough.Named from the small settlements near the Tower.
- Shakespeare's Hamlet is a different word.From the Danish legend of Amleth.
Settlement sizes in England
- Hamlet — smallest, no church
- Village — has a church, and usually a few services
- Town — larger, with a market and shops
- City — traditionally granted by royal charter, often with a cathedral
- Note — the rules are conventional, not legal, apart from city status
From Old French *hamelet*, a diminutive of *hamel*, itself a diminutive of *ham*, a home or village — related to English *home*.
What makes a village rather than a hamlet?
Traditionally, having its own church. The distinction is customary rather than legal.
Is Shakespeare's Hamlet related?
No. That name comes from the Danish legendary figure Amleth, unconnected to the settlement word.