Proprietary
/prəˈpraɪ.əˌtɛr.i/noun
Relating to ownership, or protected as the exclusive property of a person or company.
Did you know?Proprietary comes from Latin *proprietarius*, “pertaining to an owner,” from *proprietas* (“property, ownership”), ultimately tied to *proprius* (“one’s own”), a root that also gave English the eerie-sounding *appropriate* and *proper*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“To produce or procure; the distant ancestral source behind the idea of one’s own possession.”
Latin
Latin
proprius
“One’s own, special, personal, belonging to oneself.”
Latin
Latin
proprietas
“Property, ownership, special quality.”
Late Latin
Latin
proprietarius
“An owner; one who has possession or rights to something.”
Old French
Old French
proprietaire
“Owner, possessor.”
Middle English
English
proprietarie
“Pertaining to ownership; belonging to an owner.”
Modern English
English
proprietary
“Relating to ownership, or protected as exclusive property.”
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