# History of "real estate"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 23, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311 "2002-07-23T00:50:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311/1 "2002-07-23T00:50:43Z")

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I was staring at a big “REAL ESTATE” sign today, and it came to mind that I really don’t know the etymology of “real estate” or “realty.”

I looked it up in the AHD and couldn’t find a history of the words, but instead got “property” and “the sale of property.”

My friend thinks it is a term that’s pretty face-value kind of thing. “Real” being tangible and “estate” being property. Real Estate is holdings you have that are tangible land.

But what about a car or a piece of jewlery? They are tangible, and part of your estate. What makes the land/house “real” and the other stuff … stuff?

Any help, or a good link, would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311/2 "2002-07-23T05:11:26Z")

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Real Estate = Real Property

[real property (land law): an overview](http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/real_property.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Property signifies dominion or right of use, control, and disposition which one may lawfully exercise over things, objects, or land. One of the basic dividing lines between property is that between real property and personal property. Generally, the term real property refers to land. Land, in its general usage, includes not only the face of the earth but everything of a permanent nature over or under it. This includes structures and minerals

etc etc

[Real Estate](http://www.geocities.com/etymonline/r2etym.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Realty - 1670, “real estate,” from earlier meaning (1544) “real possession.”

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311/3 "2002-07-23T06:42:32Z")

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“Real” is from the Latin _res_, meaning “thing.” The jurisprudence of property was, in medieval courts, divided between action for restitution in kind (i.e., return of property) and action for compensation (i.e., damages paid in money). Generally, the return of the _res_ was required for land, leading to “real” property, whereas compensation was preferred for chattels, or “personal” property.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-real-estate/120311/4 "2002-07-23T10:28:45Z")

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Real means referring to things while personal means referring to persons. Real rights and duties attach to things while personal rights and obligations attach to people.

Suppose I own some property (land, ship, whatever) and I did not pay a certain tax dues for the year 2000 and then sold that property in 2001. If the tax obligation was a personal one, _I_ still owe the tax while if the tax obligation is a real one, then it went with the property and the new owner owes it.

On ye olden times land had attached rights (voting, etc) which were real rights as they transferred with the property.