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Origin and history of claim

claim(v.)

c. 1300, "to call, call out; to ask or demand by virtue of right or authority," from accented stem of Old French clamer "to call, name, describe; claim; complain; declare," from Latin clamare "to cry out, shout, proclaim," from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout." Related: Claimed; claiming.

Meaning "to maintain as true, assert a belief or opinion" is from 1864 ("A common use, regarded by many as inelegant" - Century Dictionary, 1895); claim properly should not stray too far from its true meaning of "to demand recognition of a right." Specific sense "to make a claim" (on an insurance company) is from 1897.

claim(n.)

early 14c., "a demand of a right; right of claiming," from Old French claime "claim, complaint," from clamer (see claim (v.)). Meaning "thing claimed or demanded" is from 1792; specifically "piece of land allotted and taken" (chiefly U.S. and Australia, in reference to mining); claim-jumper is attested from 1839. Insurance sense "application for guaranteed compensation" is from 1878.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to claim

claimant(n.)

"one who demands anything as a right," 1747, from claim (v.), on model of appellant, defendant, etc., or from French noun use of present participle of clamer.

declaim(v.)

late 14c., "practice oratory, make a formal speech or oration," from Old French declamer (Modern French déclamer) and directly from Latin declamare "to practice public speaking, to bluster," from de-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see de-) + clamare "to cry, shout" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout").

At first in English spelled declame, but altered under influence of claim. From 1570s as "speak or write as an exercise in elocution;" from 1795 as "speak aloud passionately in an appeal to the emotions of the audience." Related: Declaimed; declaiming.

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More to explore

disclaim
c. 1400, disclaimen, "renounce, relinquish, or repudiate a legal claim," originally in a feudal sense, from Anglo-French disclaimer (c. 1300), Old French desclamer "disclaim, disavow," from des- (see dis-) + clamer "to claim," from Latin clamare "to cry out, shout, proclaim," fro
forfeit
late 14c., forfet, "misdeed, offense against established authority," also "something to which the right is lost through a misdeed," from Old French forfet, forfait "crime, punishable offense" (12c.), originally past participle of forfaire "transgress," from for- "outside, beyond"
pretend
late 14c., pretenden, "to profess, put forward as a statement or assertion, maintain" (a claim, etc.), "to direct (one's)...efforts," from Old French pretendre "to lay claim," from Latin praetendere "stretch in front, spread before, put forward...Main modern sense of "feign, use as a pretext, put forward a false claim" is recorded from c. 1400; the older sense of simply..."lay claim to" is behind the royal pretenders (1690s) in English history (see pretender)....
pretension
Meaning "unproven claim" is from c. 1600....The sense of "ostentation" is from 1727, from the notion of "act of putting forth a (false) claim to merit, dignity, or importance...
vengeance
Old French vengeance, venjance "revenge, retribution" (12c.), from vengier "take revenge," from Latin vindicare "assert a claim..., claim as one's own; avenge, punish" (see vindicate)....
arrogate
"claim or demand presumptuously," 1530s, from Latin arrogatus, past participle of arrogare "to claim for oneself," from assimilated...
swan
large, web-footed swimming bird, stately and graceful in the water, noted for its long neck and white down; Old English swan "swan," from Proto-Germanic *swanaz "singer" (source also of Old Saxon swan, Old Norse svanr, Danish svane, Swedish svan, Middle Dutch swane, Dutch zwaan,
purport
early 15c., "meaning, tenor, the surface or expressed meaning of a document, etc.; that which is conveyed or expressed," from Anglo-French purport (late 13c.), Old French porport "contents, tenor," back-formation from purporter "to contain, convey, carry; intend," from pur- (from
quest
c. 1300, "an inquest, a judicial inquiry;" early 14c., "a search for something, the act of seeking, pursuit" (especially in reference to hounds seeking game in the hunt), from Old French queste "search, quest, chase, hunt, pursuit; inquest, inquiry" (12c., Modern French quête), p

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