Chattels is a word that commonly refers to personal property, such as furniture or livestock. The spelling of this word can be explained through IPA phonetic transcription as: /ˈtʃæt.əlz/ The first syllable is pronounced with the "ch" sound as in "church", followed by a short "a" sound. The second syllable features a "t" sound, a schwa sound, and a "l" sound. Finally, the word ends with a "z" sound. Despite its irregular spelling, chattels has been used in English since the 14th century as a legal term for movable property.
Chattels refer to movable personal property or possessions that can be both tangible and intangible. In a legal context, chattels are typically distinct from immovable property such as land or real estate. Examples of such tangible chattels may include furniture, vehicles, livestock, machinery, or any kind of physical object that is capable of being owned and possessed. On the other hand, intangible chattels are assets that exist purely in a digital or intellectual form, such as copyrights, patents, trademarks, or digital files like software, music, or ebooks.
The term "chattels" finds relevance in various legal fields, including estate or property law, where it serves to distinguish between different types of assets. For instance, when a person passes away, their chattels may be treated differently from their real estate or other forms of property, depending on the legal jurisdiction. Likewise, in the context of contracts, chattels can be the subject matter of buying, selling, or leasing agreements.
Overall, chattels encompass a wide range of personal property that individuals own and possess. They include both physical objects that one can touch and perceive with the senses, as well as intangible assets that hold value but lack physical substance. The legal classification of chattels is paramount in determining property rights, inheritance, taxation, and other legal matters involving one's personal possessions.
Goods in general, with the exception of land-anciently applied to cattle, as being the principal wealth of the country.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "chattels" originated from the Old French term "chatels" which was derived from the Latin word "captiare" meaning "to seize". In medieval Latin, "captiare" evolved into "captale" which meant "property". Eventually, this term was introduced into the English language as "chattels" in the 14th century, retaining its meaning of movable personal property or possessions.