"Hanzei" originally meant 'paying half of the tax' and thus meant, at that time, absolving peasants of half of their customs or taxes; however, in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts, "Hanzei" was used to mean that half of the customs or taxes on the manors and lands under the control of the feudal government were submitted to the troops in order for provincial constables to cover military expenditure and provisions locally, and the first hanzei law was enforced by the feudal government in 1352 (Note that "Hanzei" was also used to mean absolving peasants of half of their customs or taxes in the Northern and Southern Courts period and the Muromachi period).
元来、半済とは「年貢の半分を納付する」という意味より百姓の年貢の半分を免除することを意味していたが、南北朝時代(日本)頃から、守護が軍費・兵糧を現地調達するために、荘園・公領の年貢の半分を軍勢に預け置くことが、半済として行われ始め、1352年に最初の半済令が幕府から出された（なお、南北朝・室町時代においても年貢の半分免除の意味で「半済」という言葉が用いられる場合も存在しており注意を要する）。