asset

asset
asset
Fowler (1926) called this a ‘false form’, meaning that the true form was assets, derived from a late Anglo-French word which came in turn from Latin ad satis meaning ‘to sufficiency’, while asset was the lazy writer's alternative when unwilling to choose between words such as possession, gain, advantage, resource, and other synonyms. Assets was originally construed as singular but after about 1800 was construed as plural, giving rise to the singular form asset, which is now standard in a range of physical and non-physical meanings:

• Mays Cottage was a period piece, completely unrestored, which in these days seemed to be an asset —Margaret Drabble, 1975

• I still am prone to theorising about anything I have grown fond of or am familiar with (I wonder if it is an asset at all?) —weblog, IndE 2004 [OEC].


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • asset — as·set / a ˌset, sət/ n [back formation from assets, singular, sufficient property to pay debts and legacies, from Anglo French asetz, from Old French asez enough] 1: the entire property of a person, business organization, or estate that is… …   Law dictionary

  • ASSET — Un Asset est défini comme une ressource basique devant être affichée dans un Navigateur WEB. Un Asset peut être associé à des meta données. Sommaire 1 Dans un contexte de Learning management 2 Dans un contexte de gestion de configurations 3 Voir… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Asset — (engl.) bezeichnet: Vermögen (Wirtschaft), das Vermögen, die Gesamtheit aller Güter Anlagevermögen, in einem Betrieb längerfristig eingesetzte Wirtschaftsgüter Kapitalanlage das zentrale Unternehmensfeld, die Kernkompetenz einen Inhalt (Daten,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ASSET — Source for Software Engineering Technology kommerzieller Ableger des DARPA STARS Projekt, Verwaltungsgesellschaft des WSRD http://www.asset.com/ …   Acronyms

  • Asset — [ æsət] das; s, s <aus engl. asset »Stütze, Hilfe« zu altfr. asez (fr. assez) »genug«, dies aus vulgärlat. ad satis>: 1. Vermögenswert eines Unternehmens (Wirtsch.). 2. (meist Plur.) Besonderheit, Ergänzung, Zusatz (z. B. Bild u.… …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • ASSET — Source for Software Engineering Technology kommerzieller Ableger des DARPA STARS Projekt, Verwaltungsgesellschaft des WSRD (http://www.asset.com/) …   Acronyms von A bis Z

  • asset — /ˈasset, ingl. ˈæsɛt/ [propr. «bene (economico)», dall anglo fr. assetz «(avere) a sufficienza, abbastanza»] s. m. inv. (econ.) bene …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • asset — [n1] advantage aid, benefit, blessing, boon, credit, distinction, help, resource, service, treasure; concept 661 Ant. disadvantage, liability asset(s) [n2] property or money possessed ace in the hole*, ace up sleeve*, backing, bankroll, budget,… …   New thesaurus

  • asset — [as′et] n. [earlier assets < Anglo Fr assetz (in legal phrase aver assetz, to have enough) < OFr assez, enough < VL * ad satis, sufficient < L ad, to + satis, enough: see SAD] 1. anything owned that has exchange value 2. a valuable or …   English World dictionary

  • Asset — As set, n. Any article or separable part of one s assets. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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