peculium (pekuʻlium)

[L., property, esp. private property, that which belongs to oneself, one's own, orig. property in cattle (cf. feel ), pec us ( pec or- ), pec us ( pecud- ), cattle, herd, E. feel: see feel.] Private property; a private purse; specifically, in Rom. law, that which was given by a father or master to his son, daughter, or slave, as his or her private property. In civil law it embraces in its general sense all the property of which a slave or a son in his father's power had either ginally such persons were under an absolute incapacity of the use in the case of the latter, the ownership. Ori owning anything, and the peculium might in strictne be taken back at any time. It was, however, gradually made competent for a son, though under his father's power, to hold certain kinds of property absolutely, such as the money he had made in war or in a liberal profe ion. In some cases the money reverted to the father on the son's death intestate. If we look only to our own petty peculium in the war. we have had some advantages. Burke , A Regicide Peace, L