To roll downward or descend in a spiral; to pass from one person to another in sequence, especially regarding power or property.
From Latin devolvere, from de- (down) + volvere (to roll). The term appears in legal and formal English contexts dating to medieval times.
In feudal law, estates would devolute through families in strict order—if the oldest son died, the land would roll down to the next heir in a completely automatic process.
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