三者均有遺贈(zèng)物的含義。一般說來，legacy等同bequest[1], 為“動(dòng)產(chǎn)遺贈(zèng)”，都是指屬人財(cái)產(chǎn)或動(dòng)產(chǎn)（personal property)的贈(zèng)與，legacy更常指遺贈(zèng)的金錢[2]。而devise則為“不動(dòng)產(chǎn)遺贈(zèng)”，指不動(dòng)產(chǎn)（real property,尤指land)的贈(zèng)與[3]。但以上三個(gè)術(shù)語的明顯區(qū)別現(xiàn)正在逐漸消失。如法律規(guī)定如立遺囑人在遺囑中明確表示，則legacy和bequest也用于指不動(dòng)產(chǎn)遺贈(zèng)[4]; 且現(xiàn)在按美國(guó)《統(tǒng)一遺囑檢驗(yàn)法典》之規(guī)定，devise也可用于指任何形式的財(cái)產(chǎn)的遺贈(zèng)[5]。

[1]“Legacy: same as bequest. ”Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law, at p. 267, Random House, New York (2000).

[2]“A gift by will，esp. of personal property and often of money. a Cf. Bryan A. Garner, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 901，West Group (1999).

[3]“ Giving freehold land to someone in a will. Giving of other types of property is a bequest. " Cf. P. H. Collin, Dictionary of Law, 2nd edition, at p. 169, Peter Collin Publishing Ltd. (1993).

[4]“In a technical sense and strictly construes, legacy is a gift or bequest by will of

personal property, whereas a devise is a testamentary disposition of real estate, but such distinction will not be permitted to defeated the intent of a testator, and such terms may be construed interchangeably or applied indifferently to either personalty or real estate if the context of the will shows that such was the intention of the testator. ” Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 617, West Publishing Co. (1991).

[5]“ Formerly devise was used to refer only to gifts of real property，and legacy and bequest were used only to refer to gifts of personal property. These distinctions are no longer closely followed. The Uniform Probate Code uses devise to refer to any gifts made in a will. ”Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D.，Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law，at p. 137, Merriam- Webster, Incorporated (1996).