Croatian term (edited): težak

http://hjp.srce.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=f19nWxB8&k...
tèžāk ~ pov. zemljoradnik koji obrađuje zemlju prema ugovoru sa zemljoposjednikom; za razliku od kmeta, težak je slobodan

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/villein
villein ~ One of a class of feudal serfs who held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord.

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/villein.htm
The Medieval villein was a peasant who worked his lord's land and paid him certain dues in return for the use of land, the possession (not the ownership) of which was heritable. The dues were usually in the form of labor on the lord's land.

A villein was initially one of a class of feudal serfs who initially held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord. A medieval village or manor usually contained several classes of laborers, consisting of the villein, the serf and peasant.

http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaštela
Provodi se Agrarna reforma, seljaci (težaci) postaju vlasnici zemlje koju obrađuju.

http://www.castlesandmanorhouses.com/demesnes.htm
Villein - A peasant or villein was a low status tenant who worked as an agricultural worker or laborer. A peasant or villein usually cultivated 20-40 acres of land
Serf - Medieval Serfs were peasants who worked his lord's land and paid him certain dues in return for the use of land, the possession but not the ownership of which was heritable. Dues were usually in the form of labor on the lord's land. Medieval Serfs were expected to work for approximately 3 days each week on the lord's land. .....

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Note added at 6 hrs (2012-03-22 17:17:29 GMT)
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http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd...

Kroz čitavo vrijeme austrijske uprave ovdje su ostali zemljišni odnosi iz prethodnog perioda, za koje se u literaturi obično upotrebljava naziv kolonat (Pored naziva kolonat, susrećemo i naziv težaština, koloništvo, livel, odnosno za obrađivača zemlje naziv težak i polovnik). Radi se o posebnoj vrsti agrarnih odnosa, karakterističnih za područje Mediterana pa ovu agrarnu ustanovu osim u Dalmaciji susrećemo u Istri i Veneciji.
Posebnost kolonata čiji počeci datiraju još iz rimskih vremena sastojala se u tome što vlasnik daje zemlju u zakup, a seljak je, ovisno o pogodbi, dužan određeni dio prinosa dati vlasniku.
Razlika između kolona i kmeta bila je obavezama prema gospodaru. Dok je kolon imao kuću i nešto vlastite zemlje, te za uzajmljenu zemlju samo plaćao u poljoprivrednim proizvodima, kmet je, budući da nije imao ni vlastite kuće ni zemlje, dobivao od gospodara kuću i vrt, pa je zbog toga pored obaveza sličnih težakovim, morao još određeni broj dana raditi na zemlji koju je vlasnik obrađivao u vlastitoj režiji i bio je dužan davati poklone.


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Note added at 6 hrs (2012-03-22 17:18:30 GMT)
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A težački odnosi ~ Villeinage, as opposed to other forms of serfdom, was most common in Continental European feudalism, where land ownership had developed from roots in Roman law.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom#Villeins

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Note added at 1 day8 hrs (2012-03-23 18:48:16 GMT) Post-grading
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http://www.enotes.com/topic/Villein_(feudal)
Villeins thus occupied the social space between a free peasant (or "freeman") and a slave. The majority of medieval European peasants were villeins. Basically, they are villagers.
The term derives from Late Latin villanus, meaning a man employed at a Roman villa rustica, or large agricultural estate.

http://web.efzg.hr/dok//MGR/Bogdan//Hrvati_kasnii_srednji_vi...
Gospodarski razvoj Dalmacije do početka XV st.
Veći posjed jednog vlasnika naziva se selo (villa)