chattel

Signification (English)

1. Tangible, movable property.
2. A slave.

Concepts

bien meuble

Synonyms

movable

personal chattel

chattels

chose

personalty

slave

chattels personal

bondman

movable possession

bondsman

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈt͡ʃæt.l̩/

Étymologie (English)

Inherited from moyen anglais: chatel

In summary

From Middle English chatel, from Old French chatel, from Medieval Latin capitāle (English capital), from Latin capitālis (“of the head”), from caput (“head”) + -alis (“-al”). Compare the doublet cattle (“cows”), which is from an Anglo-Norman variant. Compare also capital and kith and kine (“all one’s possessions”), which also use “cow” to mean “property”.