chattel English · revision 1593

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈt͡ʃæt.l̩/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|chatel|t=property, goods]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|fro|chatel]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[der|la-med|capitāle|t=property]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) originally the neuter of Latin ''capitālis'' “of the head, chief”.^(Barnhart 1995) [[cattle|alt=Cattle]] is the Old North French form of the same word,^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary) and [[capital]] is related.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Property, goods or money, in a collective sense (before 1225).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The collective sense of “property” is obsolete.^(OED 1989) From 1549 a chattel was a single movable possession, any property other than real estate,^(OED 1989) and the legal phrase ''goods and chattels'' covers all personal property.^(OED 1989) The word was applied to slaves from the 1640s^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and became a rhetorical figure among abolitionists.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1225 – property, goods, money.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1549 – a movable possession.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570–76 – ''goods and chattels''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1649 – a slave, chiefly in abolitionist writing.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(law)'' An item of movable personal [[property]], as opposed to land and buildings.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[slave]] or bondman.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capital]]

+ * [[cattle]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House refers to ''property'' for a discussion of synonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}