HI, Charles -

For what it may be worth, a page at Wikipedia on 'real estate', described thus:

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jim1138 (talk | contribs) at 06:47, 28 May 2012 (Reverted edits by 116.203.140.207 (talk) identified as spam (HG)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

...says:

Some people have claimed that the word 'real' in this sense is descended (like French 'royal' and Spanish 'real') from the Latin word for 'king'. In the feudal system (which has left many traces in the common law) the king was the owner of all land, and everyone who occupied land paid him rent directly or indirectly (through lords who in turn paid the king), in cash, goods, or services (including military service). Property tax, paid to the state, can be seen as a relic of that system, as too is the term fee simple. Some say this derivation is a misconception;[4] but that is countered by evidence that the earliest meaning of 'real' in English included "Of, relating to, or characteristic of a monarch, royalty, or (by extension) the nobility, esp. with regard to power, wealth, or dignity; (also) befitting a monarch."[5]

...where note 5 leads to the online Oxford English Dictionary - but which requires a $100/year subscription fee in order to access. :)

--hobie

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