Let’s start with the Latin “dominus” (meaning “lord, master”), which turned into the Old French “demeine,” which became the Anglo-Norman French “demesne,” meaning “belonging to a lord.” The latter came into Old English in the 13th century. In medieval Europe, “demesne” indicated the part of a lord’s land that was kept for his personal use and not used by tenants. In modern usage, “demesne” means an owner’s property or territory, or it can refer to an area of activity, knowledge, or influence. In a legal sense, “held in demesne” describes property that is occupied by an owner, not tenants.