Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "corvee" tana nufin wani aiki marar biya da gwamnati ko wata hukuma ta sanya, musamman ga manoma, a matsayin haraji ko haraji. A cikin wannan tsarin, ana buƙatar mutane su yi wasu adadin kwanaki a kowace shekara a kan ayyukan jama'a, kamar tituna ko gine-gine, maimakon biyan haraji ko wasu kudade. Kalmar "corvee" ta fito ne daga kalmar Faransanci "corvée", wanda ke nufin "taimakawa" ko "domin yin aikin mutum".