Appertainance

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Something that belongs to or is associated with a particular thing or person; a related accessory or accompaniment; a rightful part or attribute of a whole
2. An item or element that is connected to or belongs with something else; a supplementary or adjunct feature; a component considered as part of a property or relationship
3. An object or characteristic that is naturally linked to or appropriate for another entity; an additional or inherent part; an accessory or appurtenance attached to a main subject

Etymology: "Appertainance" is a dated spelling of "appurtenance", and the spelling difference tells you something about how the word arrived. English took it from Anglo-Norman "apurtenance" and Old French "apartenance", both descending from the Latin verb "appertinere", meaning "to belong to" or "to pertain to". The Latin verb itself combined "ad" (toward) with "pertinere" (to reach, extend), so the core idea is something that stretches toward or attaches to a larger whole. The "-ance" ending is an ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a noun naming a thing or state, so the word's shape mirrors "appertain" plus "-ance." Middle English writers used the form "appurtenaunce" for something that goes with a main property, such as the rights, buildings, or land that come with an estate. Later spellings shifted, and "appertainance" survives as a dated variant that reflects the verb's older pronunciation and spelling.

Synonyms: appurtenance, accessory, attachment, appendage, adjunct