entail
UK[ɪnˈteɪl]US[ɪnˈteɪl]
v
To involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence.
v
(Law, historical) To settle the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular group, typically a family.
Morpheme Breakdown
en
tail
en
in, into, on
tail
to cut, to limit
Etymology
The word 'entail' originates from the Old French phrase 'en taillier', which literally meant "to cut into" or "to limit by cutting". This was a legal metaphor derived from the verb 'taillier' (to cut), which itself evolved from the Latin 'taliare' (to cut). In medieval English property law, this "cutting" or limiting action referred to the restriction of an estate's inheritance to a specific line of heirs, preventing its sale or division. Over time, the sense broadened from this specific legal restriction to the more general modern meaning of involving something as an inevitable, inescapable consequence, as if bound by a similar rule.
Analysis
Structure: en + tail
- en: (Prefix) From Old French, ultimately from Latin 'in-', meaning "in, into, on". Functional role: a verb-forming prefix indicating causation or putting into a state.
- tail: (Root) From Old French 'taillier', meaning "to cut, to limit". Functional role: the core root carrying the sense of restriction or limitation.
Examples
The new job will entail a significant amount of travel.
The project's success entails careful planning and teamwork.
The old estate was entailed to the eldest son.