The Collaborative International Dictionary
Peculium \Pe*cu"li*um\, n. [L. See Peculiar.]
(Rom. Law) The saving of a son or a slave with the father's or master's consent; a little property or stock of one's own; any exclusive personal or separate property.
--Burrill.-
A special fund for private and personal uses.
A slight peculium only subtracted to supply his snuff box and tobacco pouch.
--Sir W. Scott.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context legal historical English) The savings of a son or a slave, with the father's or master's consent; a little property or stock of one's own. 2 A special fund for private and personal uses.
Usage examples of "peculium".
In this respect the wife’s position under the common law of England is worse than that-of slaves in the laws of many countries: by the Roman law, for example, a slave might have his peculium, which to a certain extent the law guaranteed to him for his exclusive use.
In general beleive the decisions of the people, in a body, will be more honest & more disinterested than those of wealthy men: & I can never doubt an attachment to his country in any man who has his family & peculium in it: -- Now as to the representative house which ought to be so constructed as to answer that character truly.
Freely's business, and he would be obliged to quit it without a peculium so desirable towards defraying the expense of moving.
Restrictions upon cruelty were made, a master might no longer sell his slave to fight beasts, a slave was given property rights in what was called his peculium, slaves were paid wages as an encouragement and stimulus, a form of slave marriage was recognized.