entailment
UK[ɪnˈteɪl.mənt]US[ɪnˈteɪl.mənt]
n
something that necessarily follows from a set of conditions or facts; a logical consequence.
n
the act of entailing property; the settlement of property succession over a number of generations so that it remains within a family or group.
Morpheme Breakdown
en
tail
ment
en
cause to be
tail
cut, limit
ment
state or action
Etymology
the word 'entailment' originates from the legal concept of restricting inheritance. its core, the morpheme 'tail', derives from old french 'tailler', meaning "to cut", which evolved into the english legal term 'fee tail', referring to a restricted line of inheritance "cut off" from general succession. the prefix 'en-' (from latin 'in-') adds the sense of "causing to be" in this restricted state. the suffix '-ment' forms a noun denoting the action or result. over time, the logical sense of a necessary consequence developed by analogy from this legal restriction, where certain conditions inevitably lead to a specific outcome, much like an entailment in property law dictates a fixed line of descent.
Analysis
Structure: en (cause to be) + tail (cut, limit) + ment (state or action)
en: from old french, ultimately from latin 'in-', a prefix meaning "in, into, cause to be".
tail: from old french 'tailler', meaning "to cut", from late latin 'taliare', of uncertain origin.
ment: from old french '-ment', from latin '-mentum', a suffix forming nouns denoting an action, result, or means.
Examples
the logical entailment of his argument was that all humans are mortal.
the estate passed to the heir through a strict entailment.
philosophers study the relationship between premises and their entailments.