That's just what the term means, I'm afraid. I agree that it rarely has occurred in history. It's most often used instead as a pejorative term when people are d

That's just what the term means, I'm afraid. I agree that it rarely has occurred in history. It's most often used instead as a pejorative term when people are describing pre-industrial life, because usually the intended meaning is that subsistence farmers rarely hit their mark and are perpetually starving. I think it comes from a pretty triumphalist view of the last 300 years rather than any real history. So basically: I agree.