"put out of possession, deprive of occupancy," late 15c., from Old French despossesser "to dispossess," from des- (see dis-) + possesser"to have and hold, take, be in possession of" (see possess). Related: Dispossessed; dispossessing. Modern French déposséder is a 16c. re-formation from Medieval Latin dispossidere.
early 14c., "fact of holding or possessing;" mid-14c., "a being employed in something," also "a particular action," from Old French occupacion "pursuit, work, employment; occupancy, occupation" (12c.), from Latin occupationem (nominative occupatio) "a taking possession; business, employment," noun of action from past-participle stem of occupare (see occupy). Meaning "employment, business in which one engages" is late 14c. That of "condition of being held and ruled by troops of another country" is from 1940.
mid-15c., relinquishen, "desert, abandon" (someone, a sense now obsolete); late 15c., "give up the pursuit or practice of, desist, cease from;" from Old French relinquiss-, present-participle stem of relinquir (12c.), from Latin relinquere "leave behind, forsake, abandon, give up," from re- "back" (see re-) + linquere "to leave" (from PIE *linkw-, nasalized form of root *leikw- "to leave").
From 1550s as "give up the possession or occupancy of." Related: Relinquished; relinquishing; relinquishment.
