and yet another from the sword and sorcery paperbacks.de·mesne (d-mn, -mn)
n.
1. Law Possession and use of one's own land.
2. Manorial land retained for the private use of a feudal lord.
3. The grounds belonging to a mansion or country house.
4. An extensive piece of landed property; an estate.
5. A district; a territory.
6. A realm; a domain.
[Anglo-French, respelling (probably influenced by French mesne, variant of Anglo-Norman meen, middle, in legal phrase mesne lord, lord who holds a manor of a superior lord) of Middle English demeine, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French demaine; see domain.]
Katy