I declare that I am Sovereign over all realms.
I hold the Sovereign title as a living Man/Woman/Human Being over mySELF.
I denounce all and any false claims over mySELF, including God, Soul, spirit, body, property, beloved family and my FREEDOM.
My Free Will is my Sovereign right.
Etymology of definitions
late 14c., declaracioun, “an explanation, a statement, action of stating clearly,” from Old French declaration and directly from Latin declarationem (nominative declaratio) “a making clear or evident, a disclosure, exposition,” noun of action from past-participle stem of declarare “make clear, reveal, disclose, announce,” from de-, here probably an intensive prefix (see de-) + clarare “clarify,” from clarus “clear” (see clear (adj.)).
The meaning “proclamation, formal public statement” is from c. 1400; that of “document by which an announcement or assertion is formally made” is from 1650s, as in declaration of independence, which is is recorded from 1776 (the one issued in that year by the British American colonies seems to be the first so called; though the phrase is not in the document itself, it was titled that from the first in the press). Declaration of war is by 1762.
Old English self, seolf, sylf “one’s own person, -self; own, same,” from Proto-Germanic *selbaz (source also of Old Norse sjalfr, Old Frisian self, Dutch zelf, Old High German selb, German selb, selbst, Gothic silba), Proto-Germanic *selbaz “self,” from PIE *sel-bho-, suffixed form of root *s(w)e-, pronoun of the third person and reflexive (referring back to the subject of a sentence), also used in forms denoting the speaker’s social group, “(we our-)selves” (see idiom).
sovereignty (n.)mid-14c., “pre-eminence,” from Anglo-French sovereynete, Old French souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign (adj.)). Meaning “authority, rule, supremacy of power or rank” is recorded from late 14c.; sense of “existence as an independent state” is from 1715.
Old English eall “every, entire, the whole quantity of” (adj.), “fully, wholly, entirely” (adv.), from Proto-Germanic *alnaz (source also of Old Frisian, Old High German al; German all, alle; Old Norse allr; Gothic alls), with no certain connection outside Germanic. As a noun, in Old English, “all that is, everything.”
Combinations with all meaning “wholly, without limit” were common in Old English (such as eall-halig “all-holy,” eall-mihtig “all-mighty”) and the method continued to form new compound words throughout the history of English. Middle English had al-wher “wherever; whenever” (early 14c.); al-soon “as soon as possible,” al-what (c. 1300) “all sorts of things, whatever.”
Of the common modern phrases with it, at all “in any way” is from mid-14c., and all “and everything (else)” is from 1530s, all but “everything short of” is from 1590s. First record of all out “to one’s full powers” is 1880. All clear as a signal of “no danger” is recorded from 1902. All right, indicative of assent or approval, is attested by 1945.
The use of a, a’ as an abbreviation of all (as in Burns’ “A Man’s a Man for A’ that”) is a modern Scottishism but has history in English to 13c.
realm (n.)late 13c., “kingdom,” from Old French reaume, probably from roiaume “kingdom,” altered (by influence of Latin regalis “regal”) from Gallo-Roman *regiminem, accusative form of Latin regimen “system of government, rule,” from regere “to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide” (from PIE root *reg- “move in a straight line,” with derivatives meaning “to direct in a straight line,” thus “to lead, rule”). Transferred sense “sphere of activity” is from late 14c.
being (n.)c. 1300, “existence,” in its most comprehensive sense, “condition, state, circumstances; presence, fact of existing,” early 14c., existence,” from be + -ing. Sense of “that which physically exists, a person or thing” (as in human being) is from late 14c.
title (n.)c. 1300, “inscription, heading,” from Old French title “title or chapter of a book; position; legal permit” (12c., Modern French titre, by dissimilation), and in part from Old English titul, both from Latin titulus “inscription, label, ticket, placard, heading; honorable appellation, title of honor,” of unknown origin. Meaning “name of a book, play, etc.” first recorded mid-14c. The sense of “name showing a person’s rank” in English is first attested 1580s. Sports championship sense attested from 1913 (originally in lawn tennis), hence titlist (1913).
living (adj.)c. 1200, “alive, not dead,” also “residing, staying,” present-participle adjective from live (v.)). Replaced Old English lifende “living, having life.” Of water, “constantly flowing,” late 14c., a biblical idiom. Of rock, stone, etc., “in its original state and place,” from Latin use of vivus in reference to unwrought stone. Living dead was used from early 18c. in various figurative senses (“those who though dead live in their writings,” etc.), from 1919 in reference to those who have died and been revived. From 1971 in reference to zombies, vampires, etc.
emphatic or reflexive form of I or me, c. 1500, mi-self, alteration of meself (c. 1200), from Old English phrase (ic) me self, where me is “a kind of ethical dative” [OED]. See my + self. The alteration from meself is by analogy of herself, where her- was felt as genitive (though analogous hisself remains bad form).
12c., a shortening of Old English ic, the first person singular nominative pronoun, from Proto-Germanic *ek (source also of Old Frisian ik, Old Norse ek, Norwegian eg, Danish jeg, Old High German ih, German ich, Gothic ik), from PIE *eg- “I,” nominative form of the first person singular pronoun (source also of Sanskrit aham, Hittite uk, Latin ego (source of French Je), Greek ego, Russian ja, Lithuanian aš).
Old English freo “exempt from; not in bondage, acting of one’s own will,” also “noble; joyful,” from Proto-Germanic *friaz “beloved; not in bondage” (source also of Old Frisian fri, Old Saxon vri, Old High German vri, German frei, Dutch vrij, Gothic freis “free”)
will (n.)Old English will, willa “mind, determination, purpose; desire, wish, request; joy, delight,” from Proto-Germanic *wiljon- (source also of Old Saxon willio, Old Norse vili, Old Frisian willa, Dutch wil, Old High German willio, German Wille, Gothic wilja “will”), related to *willan “to wish” (see will (v.1)). The meaning “written document expressing a person’s wishes about disposition of property after death” is first recorded late 14c.
early 14c., “announce, make known in a formal manner” (a sense now obsolete), from Old French denoncier (12c., Modern French dénoncer) and directly from Latin denuntiare “to announce, proclaim; denounce, menace; command, order,” from de- “down” + nuntiare “proclaim, announce,” from nuntius “messenger” (from PIE root *neu- “to shout”).
The negative sense in English developed (probably encouraged by other words in de-) via the meanings “proclaim as cursed, excommunicated, removed from office” (early 14c.); “formally or publicly threaten to do” (1630s); “declare or proclaim to be cursed, wicked, or evil” (1660s). The meaning “make formal or public accusation against, inform against, accuse” (especially in turning on one’s co-conspirators) is from late 15c. Related: Denounced; denouncing.
late Old English, “intentionally untrue, lying,” of religion, “not of the true faith, not in accord with Christian doctrines,” from Old French fals, faus “false, fake; incorrect, mistaken; treacherous, deceitful” (12c., Modern French faux), from Latin falsus “deceptive, feigned, deceitful, pretend,”
c. 1300, “to call, call out; to ask or demand by virtue of right or authority,” from accented stem of Old French clamer “to call, name, describe; claim; complain; declare,” from Latin clamare “to cry out, shout, proclaim,” from PIE root *kele- (2) “to shout.” Related: Claimed; claiming.
Old English freodom “power of self-determination, state of free will; emancipation from slavery, deliverance;” see free (adj.) + -dom. Meaning “exemption from arbitrary or despotic control, civil liberty” is from late 14c. Meaning “possession of particular privileges” is from 1570s.
also God; Old English god “supreme being, deity; the Christian God; image of a god; godlike person,” from Proto-Germanic *guthan (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch god, Old High German got, German Gott, Old Norse guð, Gothic guþ), which is of uncertain origin; perhaps from PIE *ghut- “that which is invoked” (source also of Old Church Slavonic zovo “to call,” Sanskrit huta- “invoked,” an epithet of Indra), from root *gheu(e)- “to call, invoke.” The notion could be “divine entity summoned to a sacrifice.”
“morally correct,” Old English riht “just, good, fair; proper, fitting; straight, not bent, direct, erect,” from Proto-Germanic *rehtan (source also of Old Frisian riucht “right,” Old Saxon reht, Middle Dutch and Dutch recht, Old High German reht, German recht, Old Norse rettr, Gothic raihts), from PIE root *reg- “move in a straight line,” also “to rule, to lead straight, to put right” (source also of Greek orektos “stretched out, upright;” Latin rectus “straight, right;” Old Persian rasta- “straight; right,” aršta- “rectitude;” Old Irish recht “law;” Welsh rhaith, Breton reiz “just, righteous, wise”).
“A substantial entity believed to be that in each person which lives, feels, thinks and wills” [Century Dictionary], Old English sawol “spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence; life, living being,” from Proto-Germanic *saiwalō (source also of Old Saxon seola, Old Norse sala, Old Frisian sele, Middle Dutch siele, Dutch ziel, Old High German seula, German Seele, Gothic saiwala), of uncertain origin.
Sometimes said to mean originally “coming from or belonging to the sea,” because that was supposed to be the stopping place of the soul before birth or after death [Barnhart]; if so, it would be from Proto-Germanic *saiwaz (see sea). Klein explains this as “from the lake,” as a dwelling-place of souls in ancient northern Europe.
Meaning “spirit of a deceased person” is attested in Old English from 971. As a synonym for “person, individual, human being” (as in every living soul) it dates from early 14c. Soul-searching (n.) is attested from 1871, from the phrase used as a present-participle adjective (1610s). Distinguishing soul from spirit is a matter best left to theologians.
mid-13c., “animating or vital principle in man and animals,” from Anglo-French spirit, Old French espirit “spirit, soul” (12c., Modern French esprit) and directly from Latin spiritus “a breathing (respiration, and of the wind), breath; breath of a god,” hence “inspiration; breath of life,” hence “life;” also “disposition, character; high spirit, vigor, courage; pride, arrogance,” related to spirare “to breathe,” perhaps from PIE *(s)peis- “to blow” (source also of Old Church Slavonic pisto “to play on the flute”). But de Vaan says “Possibly an onomatopoeic formation imitating the sound of breathing. There are no direct cognates.”
Old English bodig “trunk of a man or beast, physical structure of a human or animal; material frame, material existence of a human; main or principal part of anything,” related to Old High German botah, but otherwise of unknown origin. Not elsewhere in Germanic, and the word has died out in German (replaced by Leib, originally “life,” and Körper, from Latin), “but in English body remains as a great and important word” [OED].
Extension to “a person, a human being” is from c. 1300. Meaning “main part” of anything was in late Old English, hence its use in reference to vehicles (1520s). From 1580s as “part of the dress which covers the body.” From 1590s as “main part of a group, any number of individuals spoken of collectively.” From 1660s as “main portion of a document.” Contrasted with soul at least since mid-13c. Meaning “corpse” (“dead body”) is from c. 1200. Transferred to matter generally in Middle English (as in heavenly body, late 14c.).
property (n.)c. 1300, properte, “nature, quality,” later “possession, thing owned” (early 14c., a sense rare before 17c.), from an Anglo-French modification of Old French propriete “individuality, peculiarity; property” (12c., Modern French propreté; see propriety), from Latin proprietatem (nominative proprietas) “ownership, a property, propriety, quality,” literally “special character” (a loan-translation of Greek idioma), noun of quality from proprius “one’s own, special” (see proper). For “possessions, private property” Middle English sometimes used proper goods. Hot property “sensation, a success” is from 1947 in “Billboard” stories.
beloved (adj.)late 14c., past-participle adjective from obsolete verb belove “to please; be pleased with” (c. 1200), from be- + loven “to love” (see love (v.)). Noun meaning “one who is beloved” is from 1520s, first in Biblical language.
early 15c., “servants of a household,” from Latin familia “family servants, domestics collectively, the servants in a household,” thus also “members of a household, the estate, property; the household, including relatives and servants,” abstract noun formed from famulus “servant, slave,” which is of unknown origin.
The Latin word rarely appears in the sense “parents with their children,” for which domus (see domestic (adj.)) was used. Derivatives of famulus include famula “serving woman, maid,” famulanter “in the manner of a servant,” famulitas “servitude,” familiaris “of one’s household, private,” familiaricus “of household slaves,” familiaritas “close friendship.”
In English, sense of “collective body of persons who form one household under one head and one domestic government, including parents, children, and servants, and as sometimes used even lodgers or boarders” [Century Dictionary] is from 1540s. From 1660s as “parents with their children, whether they dwell together or not,” also in a more general sense, “persons closely related by blood, including aunts, uncles, cousins;” earlier “those who descend from a common progenitor, a house, a lineage” (1580s). Hence, “any group of things classed as kindred based on common distinguishing characteristics” (1620s); as a scientific classification, between genus and order, from 1753.
It replaced Old English hiwscipe, hiwan “family,” cognate with Old Norse hjon “one of the household; married couple, man and wife; domestic servant,” and with Old High German hiwo “husband,” hiwa “wife,” also with Lithuanian šeimyna “family,” Gothic haims “village,” Old English ham “village, home” (see home (n.)).
As an adjective from c. 1600; with the meaning “suitable for a family,” by 1807. Family values is recorded by 1966. Phrase in a family way “pregnant” is from 1796. Family circle is 1809; family man “man devoted to wife and children, man inclined to lead a domestic life” is 1856 (earlier it meant “thief,” 1788, from family in a slang sense of “the fraternity of thieves”). Family tree “graph of ancestral relations” attested from 1752: The phrase is attested from 1844.
Recent Comments