Where does “chattel” come from?
Chattel comes from Middle English chatel, from Old French chatel, from Medieval Latin capitale, from Latin capitalis meaning "of the head or chief," derived from Latin caput meaning "head" and the suffix -alis.
chattel (English): Tangible, movable property; A slave
Definitions
- Tangible, movable property; A slave
Ancestry of “chattel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chatel | — |
| 2 | Old French | chatel | possession; Alternative form of chastel |
| 3 | Latin | capitāle | capital crime |
| 4 | Latin | capitālis | of the head or life |
| 5 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |