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Origin and history of entitle

entitle(v.)

also intitle, late 14c., "to give a title to a chapter, book, etc.," from Anglo-French entitler, Old French entiteler "entitle, call" (Modern French intituler), from Late Latin intitulare "give a title or name to," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + titulus "title" (see title (n.)).

Meaning "to bestow (on a person) a rank or office" is mid-15c. Sense of "to give (someone) 'title' to an estate or property," hence to give that person a claim to possession or privilege, is mid-15c.; this now is used mostly in reference to circumstances and actions. Related: Entitled; entitling.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to entitle

title(n.)

c. 1300, "inscription, heading" on or over an object, originally especially the superscription on Christ's Cross, from Old French title "title or chapter of a book; position; legal permit" (12c., Modern French titre, by dissimilation), and in part from or merged with Old English titul. Both are from Latin titulus "inscription, label, ticket, placard, heading; honorable appellation, title of honor," a word of unknown origin.

The notion is an inscription placed over something to distinguish or specialize it. The meaning "name of a book, poem, play, etc." is recorded by late 14c. The sense of "subdivision heading in a book" (14c.) is preserved in law books and legal documents. In the publishing trade, "any book, magazine, or newspaper," by 1895.

It is attested by early 14c. as "a deed giving legal right to possession of land or property;" hence the right of ownership itself. The legal sense of "claim, reason, or cause; justification for an act" is late 14c.

The sense of "name showing the rank of a person or family," hence more generally "distinguishing appellation" belonging to someone by right or endowment or as a mark of respect, is attested from 1580s.

The sports championship sense is attested from 1913 (in lawn tennis), hence titlist (1913). Title-holder is by 1904 in a legal sense, by 1938 in sports. The title-page (1610s) is the preliminary page in a book or other printed publication. A title role in theater (1852) gives its name to the play. Also compare tittle (n.). Title-insurance (1902) protects real-estate holders against defective titles.

entitlement(n.)

1823, perhaps in some senses from French entitlement, which was in Old French as "title (of a book), inscription," and later was used in legal language; but also in part a native formation from entitle + -ment.

Negative suggestion of an undeserved benefit by 1984, perhaps stemming from the term entitlement program (1962) which was used with increasing vilification under the Reagan administration. Entitlement culture attested by 1994 (culture of entitlement is from 1989).

*en

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "in."

It might form all or part of: and; atoll; dysentery; embargo; embarrass; embryo; empire; employ; en- (1) "in; into;" en- (2) "near, at, in, on, within;" enclave; endo-; enema; engine; enoptomancy; enter; enteric; enteritis; entero-; entice; ento-; entrails; envoy; envy; episode; esoteric; imbroglio; immolate; immure; impede; impend; impetus; important; impostor; impresario; impromptu; in; in- (2) "into, in, on, upon;" inchoate; incite; increase; inculcate; incumbent; industry; indigence; inflict; ingenuous; ingest; inly; inmost; inn; innate; inner; innuendo; inoculate; insignia; instant; intaglio; inter-; interim; interior; intern; internal; intestine; intimate (adj.) "closely acquainted, very familiar;" intra-; intricate; intrinsic; intro-; introduce; introduction; introit; introspect; invert; mesentery.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit antara- "interior;" Greek en "in," eis "into," endon "within;" Latin in "in, into," intro "inward," intra "inside, within;" Old Irish in, Welsh yn, Old Church Slavonic on-, Old English in "in, into," inne "within, inside."

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