time-share
Meaning
an arrangement in which several different people own a holiday property and each can use it for a particular period of the year
a property owned in this way
to own or use a property as part of a time-share arrangement
Structure
Usage
They bought a time-share in a condo in Florida.
The resort specializes in selling and managing time-share properties.
We time-share a ski chalet with two other families.
Etymology
The term 'time-share' is a modern English compound, formed in the mid-20th century to describe a new model of property ownership. It directly combines the Old English-derived word 'time', referring to a measured or allocated period, with 'share', from the Old English concept of a cut or portion. The compound's logic is perfectly literal: multiple parties share the ownership of an asset by dividing and allocating specific time periods for its exclusive use. This transparent construction reflects the commercial and legal innovation of apportioning property rights temporally rather than spatially.
Analysis
- time: From Old English 'tīma', meaning a period or season. In this compound, it denotes a designated period. - share: From Old English 'scearu', meaning a portion or division. In this compound, it denotes the act of dividing or owning a portion.