rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -itas
Latin

-itas

a quality or state

Forms

  • -itas
  • -itat- — Latin stem used outside the basic noun form.
  • -ity — English form developed through French.

Origin

Latin -tas, a suffix for abstract nouns, with a preceding i; the suffix continues an older Indo-European abstract-noun formation.

Note

Turns a description into something that can be discussed as a quality in its own right.

177 / 231
Agent hands house key to buyer beside isolated small house architectural model and simple deed with seal, no words; property transaction rather than general office.
noun

realty

REE-ul-tee/ˈriːəlti/

Land and buildings held as property.

Etymology
reLatinthing, property
+alLatinof, relating to
+tyLatina quality or state

The root means “thing” or “property,” but realty first meant reality, then a real possession. Its specialization to land reflects the fixed, permanent nature of landed property.

Full entry

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