What is "grietenij"

A grietenij was a forerunner to the gemeente or municipality in Frisia, particularly in Friesland, and also in Groningen which are now a part of the Netherlands. From the end of the 16th century until 1851, there were a total of 30 grietenijen in Friesland. The term grietenij means the administrative district of a grietman. The term grietman means a man who greets. The grietenijen were found in the counties of Oostergo, Westergo and Zevenwouden. In the municipality law in 1851, the term grietenij was changed to gemeente or municipality, and the term grietman was changed to burgemeester or mayor. This resulted in consistent terms being used throughout the Netherlands.