claim
[ kleym ]
/ kleɪm /
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
to make or file a claim: to claim for additional compensation.
noun
Idioms for claim
lay claim to,
to declare oneself entitled to: I have never laid claim to being an expert in tax laws.
Origin of claim
1250–1300; (v.) Middle English
claimen < Anglo-French, Old French
claimer < Latin
clāmāre to cry out; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French
cla(
i)
me, noun derivative of the v.
synonym study for claim
1. See
demand.
historical usage of claim
The English noun
claim comes from the verb, which in turn comes from the Old French verb
clamer (stem
claim- ) “to summon to law, affirm vigorously,” from the Latin verb
clāmāre “to shout, accompany with shouts, shout the name of.”
The verb claim originally meant “to assert a legal right, to make a demand for something that is one’s due.” In the 19th century, claim developed a looser, less strict sense, especially in American usage, “to make an unsubstantiated statement; assert or maintain as a fact,” a meaning considered inelegant at that time but also one that occurs in the writings of Chaucer.
The legal term quitclaim meaning “to quit or give up a right or claim” dates from the 14th century in England. The noun claim meaning “a request or demand for payment in accordance with an insurance policy” dates from the 19th century.
Just as we intuitively understand the relationship between claim and quitclaim, it's pretty clear how the words acclaim, reclaim, proclaim, etc., are related in meaning and etymology to claim.
The verb claim originally meant “to assert a legal right, to make a demand for something that is one’s due.” In the 19th century, claim developed a looser, less strict sense, especially in American usage, “to make an unsubstantiated statement; assert or maintain as a fact,” a meaning considered inelegant at that time but also one that occurs in the writings of Chaucer.
The legal term quitclaim meaning “to quit or give up a right or claim” dates from the 14th century in England. The noun claim meaning “a request or demand for payment in accordance with an insurance policy” dates from the 19th century.
Just as we intuitively understand the relationship between claim and quitclaim, it's pretty clear how the words acclaim, reclaim, proclaim, etc., are related in meaning and etymology to claim.
OTHER WORDS FROM claim
Words nearby claim
claes,
clafouti,
clag,
claggy,
claiborne,
claim,
claim check,
claim-jumper,
claimant,
claimer,
claiming race
British Dictionary definitions for lay claim to
claim
/ (kleɪm) /
verb (mainly tr)
noun
Derived forms of claim
claimable, adjective claimer, nounWord Origin for claim
C13: from Old French
claimer to call, appeal, from Latin
clāmāre to shout
Idioms and Phrases with lay claim to (1 of 2)
lay claim to
Assert one's right to or ownership of, as in “What claim lays she to thee?” (Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, 3:2). [Late 1500s] Also see stake a claim.
Idioms and Phrases with lay claim to (2 of 2)
claim