Etymology – What Does “Proper” Mean?

Property in the legal sense is what belongs either to or on something, whether as a physical feature or as a constituent of that thing. Usually, when speaking of property, one uses the word land as the typical example. The property thus refers to the land itself, and any fixtures that are put on that land. Usually, there are also personal possessions that are included under the category of personal property.

In addition, some theorists would define property as any property that does not arise out of and relation to a tangible thing, which includes money and credit, but also other non-tangible things such as knowledge and feelings. By extension, the categories of these additional types of property are also used as the grounds for the distinction between personal and aggregate. A personal property can only be owned by one person. On the other hand, aggregate property is the property that arises out of the ownership of immovable assets such as buildings, structures, and so on.

In order for a person to have legal title to a particular property, it must be comprised of a number of distinct elements. One of the most important elements that is featured in the legal structure of property is the legal title. A legal title is defined as the right by a body of people, known as creditors, to hold, control, and transfer the ownership of real property in a variety of different ways. Some of these options include:

Etymology also provides a good deal of information about this topic. Proprete, from praesus (the Latin word for father) is identified as the root of the word ‘prop’, meaning ‘to procreate’, and thus, ‘father’. This origin can also explain why this originative term has been applied to property, even going back to the pre-Christian era.

Property can also be defined using another etymology, proprete, from prima, meaning ‘of the father’. In this etymology, property can also refer to the property of the father, or paternity. Both proprete and propria are considered acceptable terms in legal structures.

Property can be further described as an abstract noun, or word class. For instance, to possess something is to have something; to be able to possess something implies that one is able to acquire something, and that you are entitled to something. Another etymology suggests that property is a sort of stock. This refers to stocks that are held by one person as part of a portfolio. The stocks are then owned by a group of people collectively as a result of a contract or agreement, often with the intention of turning the stocks into cash.

Property can be defined as personal possessions. This includes all material possessions such as clothing, furniture, vehicles, etc., and all immovable possessions such as land or buildings. In legal systems, property also refers to ownership of real property, the rights and privileges associated with such property, and the person who has acquired the property. Property thus refers to anything that can be legally possessed, owned, or transferred. So, to say that someone is “property rich” or has “property” indicates that they have some form of control over a thing that others can’t possess, such as cash in hand, gold in pocket, etc.

Property in common parlance refers to the legal title, right, or interest that one individual or group holds. It is based on the legal title given to a thing, but often is expressed as having a legal right or interest in that thing rather than the right or interest one individually may have in it. So, for example, a piece of property may be described as “my property”, “my property in common”, or “my property in common with others.” It’s clear from the etymology that the word has something to do with possession, ownership, and legal titles.