Early 17th century; earliest use found in Walter Raleigh (1554–1618), courtier, explorer, and author. From post-classical Latin emphyteusis tenure of a hereditary leasehold from Byzantine Greek ἐμϕύτευσις tenure with right to plant from ancient Greek ἐμϕυτεύειν to engraft, in Hellenistic Greek also to plant in a place (from ἐμ-, variant (before a labial) of ἐν- + ϕυτεύειν to plant from ϕυτόν plant: see phyto-)) + -σις.