Title comes from Latin titulus — a physical inscription or label placed on something for identification. From labels on scrolls and plaques, it extended to social ranks and legal ownership.
The name of a book, composition, or other work of art; a word or phrase indicating a person's rank, office, or status; a legal right of ownership.
From Old English titul and Old French title, both from Latin titulus meaning 'inscription, label, heading, title of honour'. The original Latin meaning was physical — a titulus was an inscription on a plaque or sign, the label placed on something to identify it. Roman books had a titulus attached to their scroll. Criminals carried a titulus listing their crimes
The most famous titulus in history hung above the cross at the Crucifixion — the sign reading INRI (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews). In Roman practice, a titulus was any label identifying a person or object: the heading on a scroll, the sign on a shop, the placard carried before a condemned prisoner listing their crimes. Title deeds preserve this ancient function — a legal label declaring