Posted by Anthony Minnuto on Wednesday, March 23, 2011,
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 reli... Continue reading ...