escheat

The story

1. Late Latin · derived from*excadēre“fall away, fall out”
2. Old French · derived fromeschet
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromeschete
4. Middle English · inherited fromescheat
5. English todayescheat

From Middle English escheat, achete, eschete (“the reversion or conversion of property to the government”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of cheat.

Words from the same roots