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res nullius
noun
res nul·li·us
\ˌrāsnəˈlēəs, rāˈsnu̇lē-; ˌrēznəˈlīəs, rēzˈnəlēəs\
Definition of res nullius
1 : a thing belonging to no one whether because never appropriated (as a wild animal) or because abandoned by its owner but acquirable by appropriation
2 : property not subject to private ownership under Roman law
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Origin and Etymology of res nullius
Late Latin, literally, thing of no one
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