English
property
Property comes from Middle English propertee, from Old French propreté, from Latin proprietās ‘peculiarity, ownership’, from proprius ‘one’s own’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘special, particular, one's own’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprietās‘peculiarity; property’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400propreté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500propertee
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596property
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprius‘special, particular, one's own’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEproprietās‘peculiarity; property’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400propreté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500propertee
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596property
Earliest quotation: c. 1596, William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King Iohn: “Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back:…”
Formed from proper + -ty
Proto-Italic *proprijos
Latin proprius ‘appropriate to oneself: proper’
Anglo-Norman propre
Middle English propre
English proper
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ‘to please’
friend, freedom, fray, impropriety, 5 more
through Proto-Indo-European *priHós ‘dear’
through Proto-Italic *pro-
through Latin proprius ‘appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper,…’
appropriation, improper, reproach, 9 more
through Latin proprietās ‘a peculiarity, one's peculiar nature or…’
Today it means
noun Something that is owned.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin proprius / property