Hah, all this wife/husband joking is lol to be sure.
However, the right description of chattel - as you can see- it looks and sounds like the word "cattle" doesn't it? It comes from the same root. It implies that not only is a person a slave, but one who cannot think for themselves, as a cow would be. They must be told what to do, at all times. Chattel is property. Where we see that women are referred to as chattel it is usually in the context of decribing a harem or whorehouse full of women. They serve a purpose, and must be taken care of, like cattle.
Looking in my old Medieval English dictionary I find the word "Catel" to mean cattle and chattel, in Olde French. The translation: Property.
[ September 06, 2002: Message edited by: Tirned Tinnu ]
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