English
hereditament
Hereditament comes from Middle English hereditament ‘something inheritable’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hereditament‘something inheritable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1749same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hereditament‘something inheritable’
- Englishearliest quotation 1749same form
Earliest quotation: 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones: “The captain […] had been greatly enamoured; that is…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- ‘to leave behind, abandon’
through Late Latin hērēs ‘heir’
through Late Latin hērēditō ‘to inherit’
Today it means
noun Property which can be inherited.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English hereditament / hereditament