beg

en-verb

beg (third-person singular simple present begs, present participle begging, simple past and past participle begged)

begs (present singular third-person)
begging (participle present)
begged (participle past)
begged (past)

Inherited from Middle English beggen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English *becgian, *bedcian, syncopated forms of bedecian (“to beg”), itself of obscure origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *bedukōn, a frequentative verb derived from Proto-West Germanic *bedu (“plea, petition, prayer”, whence English bead). Alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *bedagō (“petitioner, requester, beggar”), an agent noun from the same surce. Compare North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”). All ultimately from the root of English bid, which see for more. An alternative theory considers the verb a backformation from beggar and derives the latter from Old French begart (“kind of lay brother”).

unk

obscure

der

Else some will beg thee, in the court of wards.

(transitive, law, obsolete) To ask to be appointed guardian for, or to ask to have a guardian appointed for.


night

en-noun

night (countable and uncountable, plural nights)

Pijin: naet

→ Korean: 나이트 (naiteu)

From Middle English nighte, night, nyght, niȝt, naht, from Old English niht, from Proto-West Germanic *naht (“night”), from Proto-Germanic *nahts (“night”), from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”).
Cognate with Scots nicht, neicht (“night”), West Frisian nacht (“night”), Dutch nacht (“night”), Low German Nacht (“night”), German Nacht (“night”), Danish nat (“night”), Swedish and Norwegian natt (“night”), Faroese nátt (“night”), Icelandic nótt (“night”), Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (nahts, “night”), Greek νύχτα (nýchta, “night”), Russian ночь (nočʹ, “night”), Sanskrit नक्ति (nákti, “night”), and Latin nox (“night”), whence English nox, a doublet.

(law, countable) A period of time often defined in the legal system as beginning 30 minutes after sunset, and ending 30 minutes before sunrise.

գիշեր

quality of sleep obtained during a night


perfect

en-verb

perfect (third-person singular simple present perfects, present participle perfecting, simple past and past participle perfected)

perfects (present singular third-person)
perfecting (participle present)
perfected (participle past)
perfected (past)

perfect an appeal

perfect an interest

perfect a judgment

(law) To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.


hitherto

[ˈhɪðəˌtʰuː]

[ˌhɪðəˈtʰuː]

From Middle English hiderto, corresponding to hither + to.

The exhaustless conjecturings of that evening's full conversation, made such of the small party, as had hitherto been strangers, well acquainted with each other's turn of mind[…]

1830, Anna Maria Porter, The Barony, volume 3, page 460:

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

1910 [1848 February 21], Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, chapter I, in Samuel Moore, transl., edited by Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & company, page 12:

The results of this study argue for a greater endonormativity in Indian English than has hitherto been recognised.

2014, James Lambert, “Diachronic stability in Indian English lexis”, in World Englishes, page 124:

North of Tain [...], the line reaches the southern shore of Dornoch Firth. Here, the railway and the A9 trunk road, which have hitherto run close together, diverge.

2021 October 20, Paul Stephen, “Leisure and pleasure on the Far North Line”, in RAIL, number 942, page 49:

(formal, also law) Up to this or that time or point.


highway

From Middle English heiȝwai, heiȝwei, from Old English hēahweġ (“main road, highway”), corresponding to high + way. Compare highgate, high street, high road.
Cognate with Scots heaway, heway, hieway, hichway, heichway (“highway”).

inh

(law, rail transport) Any public road for vehicular traffic.


as

From Middle English as, als(a), alswa, from Old English eallswā (“just so; as”), thus representing a reduced form of also. Compare German Low German as, German als, Dutch als.

The case is dismissed as between Jones and Smith. (makes explicit that the case is continued between other parties to the litigation)

The case is dismissed as against Smith. (makes explicit that it is continued against some other defendant)

(law) used before a preposition to clarify that the prepositional phrase restricts the meaning of the sentence; specifically.


hear

en-verb

hear (third-person singular simple present hears, present participle hearing, simple past and past participle heard)

hears (present singular third-person)
hearing (participle present)
heard (participle past)
heard (past)

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti
Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną
Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan
Old English hīeran
Middle English heren
English hear
From Middle English heren, from Old English hīeran (“to hear”), from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti (“to be sharp-eared”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) + *h₂ows- (“ear”) + *-yéti (denominative suffix).
Cognates
Cognate with Saterland Frisian heere (“to hear”), West Frisian hearre (“to hear”), Dutch horen (“to hear”), German hören (“to hear”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål høre (“to hear”), Norwegian Nynorsk høyra (“to hear”), Icelandic heyra (“to hear”), Ancient Greek ἀκούω (akoúō, “I hear”).

inh

Your case will be heard at the end of the month.

(transitive, law) To listen to (a person, case) in a court of law; to try.


chose

From Middle French chose, from Latin causa (“cause, reason”). Doublet of cause.


accused

* (noun): First attested in the 1590's.
* From accuse (“blame”) + -ed

(law) The person charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.


hung

en-adj

hung (not generally comparable, comparative more hung, superlative most hung)

more hung (comparative)
most hung (superlative)

you'd complain if you were hung with a new rope

(law) Of a jury, unable to reach a unanimous verdict in a trial.


trite

trite (comparative triter, superlative tritest)

triter (comparative)
tritest (superlative)

From Latin trītus "worn out," a form of the verb terō (“I wear away, wear out”).

It is trite to say that the mere fact that a decision does not favour the applicant or that the applicant disagrees with the decision does not establish that the decision is tainted with bias.

2017, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Taucar v Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, 2017 ONSC 2604

(law) So well established as to be beyond debate: trite law.


learned

learned (comparative more learned, superlative most learned)

more learned (comparative)
most learned (superlative)

From Middle English lerned, lernd, lernyd, equivalent to learn + -ed, which replaced the earlier lered (“taught”), from Old English (ġe)lǣred, past participle of lǣran (“to teach”). Learn formerly had the meaning “to teach”, which is now found only in nonstandard speech, as well as its standard meaning of “to learn”.

(law, formal) A courteous description used in various ways to refer to lawyers or judges.


force

en-noun

force (countable and uncountable, plural forces)

From Middle English force, fors, forse, from Old French force, from Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

der

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

The law will come into force in January.

(law) Either unlawful violence, as in a "forced entry", or lawful compulsion.

насилие

law: unlawful violence or lawful compulsion


bind

en-verb

bind (third-person singular simple present binds, present participle binding, simple past bound or (nonstandard) binded, past participle bound or (nonstandard) binded or (archaic, rare) bounden or (obsolete) ybound or (obsolete) ybounden)

binds (present singular third-person)
binding (participle present)
bound (past)
binded (nonstandard past)
bound (participle past)
binded (nonstandard participle past)
bounden (archaic participle past rare)
ybound (obsolete participle past)
ybounden (obsolete participle past)

From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną (compare West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, German binden, Danish binde), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéndʰ-e-ti, from *bʰendʰ- (“to tie”).
Compare Welsh benn (“cart”), Latin offendīx (“knot, band”), Lithuanian beñdras (“partner”), Albanian bind (“to convince, to awe, to spell”), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peîsma, “cable, rope”), Persian بستن (bastan, “to bind”), Sanskrit बन्धति (bándhati). Doublet of bandana.

cog

(law) To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.

to bind an apprentice  bound out to service

(law) To place under legal obligation to serve.


sound

en-verb

sound (third-person singular simple present sounds, present participle sounding, simple past and past participle sounded)

sounds (present singular third-person)
sounding (participle present)
sounded (participle past)
sounded (past)

* Noun: from Middle English sownde, alteration of soun, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sun, soun, Old French son, from accusative of Latin sonus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂- (“to sound, resound”).
* Verb: from Middle English sownden, sounen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman suner, sounder, Old French soner (modern sonner), from Latin sonō.
* The hypercorrect -d appears in the fifteenth century. (Compare dialectal drownd, gownd for the same development.)
Displaced native Middle English swei, from Old English swēġ, from Proto-Germanic *swōgiz.

der

In my opinion this claim sounds in damages rather than in an injunction.

[…]there can be no doubt that claims brought pursuant to § 1983 sound in tort.

1999, Supreme Court of the United States, City of Monterey v. Del Monte Dunes at Montery, Ltd. et al.:

(intransitive, law, often with in) To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy.


reading

en-noun

reading (countable and uncountable, plural readings)

From Middle English reding, redynge, redunge, from Old English rǣding (“reading”), equivalent to read + -ing.

(politics, law) One of several stages a bill passes through before becoming law.

четене

one of several stages a bill passes through


addition

addition (countable and uncountable, plural additions)

Sense of “what is added” dates from 14th century, from Middle English addicioun, addition, from Old French adition, from Latin additiōnem, accusative singular of additiō, from addō (“add, put”).

[…]They clip vs drunkards, and with Swiniſh phraſe / Soyle our addition, and indeede it takes / From our atchieuements, though perform’d at height / The pith and marrow of our attribute[…]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

(chiefly law) A title annexed to a person's name to identify him or her more precisely.


find

en-verb

find (third-person singular simple present finds, present participle finding, simple past found or (dialectal) fand, past participle found or (archaic) founden)

finds (present singular third-person)
finding (participle present)
found (past)
fand (dialectal past)
found (participle past)
founden (archaic participle past)
find (infinitive)

From Middle English finden, from Old English findan, from Proto-West Germanic *finþan, from Proto-Germanic *finþaną (compare West Frisian fine, Low German finden, Dutch vinden, German finden, Danish finde, Norwegian Bokmål finne, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish finna), a secondary verb from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to go, pass; path bridge”), whence *póntoh₁s (compare English path, Old Irish étain (“I find”), áitt (“place”), Latin pōns (“bridge”), Ancient Greek πόντος (póntos, “sea”), Old Armenian հուն (hun, “ford”), Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬃 (paṇtā̊), Sanskrit पथ (pathá, “path”), Proto-Slavic *pǫtь).

inh

even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while

even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while

find one's ass with both hands and a flashlight

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog

look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence

look as if one has lost a shilling and found sixpence

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

that's for me to know and you to find out

The jury finds for the defendant.

(intransitive, law) To determine or judge.


factor

From Middle French facteur, from Latin factor (“a doer, maker, performer”), from factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”).

uder

incremental power transfer distribution factor

A person or business organization that provides money for another's new business venture; one who finances another's business.

A business organization that lends money on accounts receivable or buys and collects accounts receivable.


actor

→ Scottish Gaelic: actair

→ Welsh: actor

Inherited from Middle English actour, from Anglo-Norman actor, Middle French actor, and their source, Latin āctor (“doer”), from agō (“to do”). Equivalent to act + -or. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἄκτωρ (áktōr, “leader”), from ἄγω (ágō, “lead, carry, convey, bring”).

(obsolete, law) Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant.


fortuitous

en-adj

fortuitous (comparative more fortuitous, superlative most fortuitous)

more fortuitous (comparative)
most fortuitous (superlative)

/fɘˈt͡ʃʉː.ɘ.tɘs/

(law) Happening independently of human will.

неволен

law: happening independently of human will


law

en-noun

law (countable and uncountable, plural laws)

From Middle English lawe, laȝe, from Old English lagu (“law”), borrowed from Old Norse lǫg (“law”, literally “things laid down or firmly established”), originally the plural of lag (“layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke”), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (“that which is laid down”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”). Cognate with Scots law (“law”), Icelandic lög (“things laid down, law”), Faroese lóg (“law”), Norwegian lov (“law”), Swedish lag (“law”), Danish lov (“law”), Finnish laki (“law”). Replaced Old English ǣ and ġesetnes. More at lay.
Not related to legal, nor to French loi, Spanish ley, all of which ultimately derive from Latin lēx, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather”).

азакуан

body of rules established in a community by its authorities

As to the depriving the defendant of waging his law, it was thought, the practice merited discouragement, as a temptation to perjury.

1793, Richard Wooddeson, A Systematical View of the Laws of England, page 169:

But, before the defendant takes the oath, the plaintiff is called by the crier thrice; and if he do not appear he becomes nonsuited, and then the defendant goes quit without taking his oath; and if he appear, and the defendant swear that he owes the plaintiff nothing, and the compurgators give it upon oath, that they believe he swears true, the plaintiff is barred for ever; for when a person has waged his law, it is as much as if a verdict had passed against the plaintiff; if the plaintiff do not appear to hear the defendant perform his law, so that he is nonsuit, he is not barred, but may bring a new action.

1846, Matthew Bacon, Sir Henry Gwilliam, Charles Edward Dodd, A New Abridgment of the Law with Large Additions and Corrections:

A withdrawal from a wager of law was an admission of the point as to which the law was waged; the defaulter also incurred a fine (i, 297).

2013, William Paley Baildon, Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield: Volume 2, 1297 to 1309, →ISBN, page ix:

perform one's law
perform one's law#English

(law, chiefly historical) An oath sworn before a court, especially disclaiming a debt. (Chiefly in the phrases "wager of law", "wage one's law", "perform one's law", "lose one's law".)


lay

en-verb

lay (third-person singular simple present lays, present participle laying, simple past and past participle laid)

lays (present singular third-person)
laying (participle present)
laid (participle past)
laid (past)
lay (infinitive)

From Middle English leyen, leggen, from Old English leċġan (“to lay”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggjan, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *ligjaną (“to lie, recline”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”).
Cognate with West Frisian lizze (“to lay, to lie”), Dutch leggen (“to lay”), German legen (“to lay”), Norwegian Bokmål legge (“to lay”), Norwegian Nynorsk leggja (“to lay”), Swedish lägga (“to lay”), Icelandic leggja (“to lay”), Albanian lag (“troop, band, war encampment”).

cog

the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray

the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry

to lay the venue


spent

(law, chiefly UK) Of legislation or an enactment: no longer in force due to all of its provisions having expired or been completed.

(law, chiefly UK) Of a conviction: no longer appearing on a person's criminal record.


sentence

en-verb

sentence (third-person singular simple present sentences, present participle sentencing, simple past and past participle sentenced)

sentences (present singular third-person)
sentencing (participle present)
sentenced (participle past)
sentenced (past)

Borrowed from Middle French sentence, from Latin sententia (“way of thinking, opinion, sentiment”), from sentiēns, present participle of sentiō (“to feel, think”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”).

der

“We are empowered to deliver thee to prison; yea, the law commands us to sentence death upon the abettors of this mischief.[…]"

1874, Ella Taylor Disosway, South Meadows: A Tale of Long Ago, page 235:

So as far as the older generation of German Lutherans were concerned, the abolition of the mother language sentenced death upon the church as they knew it.

1977, Eugene B. Meier, How was the Acculturation of Children of Alt Lutheraner Descent in Wisconsin 1843 - 1915 Affected by the Relationship of Home and Market?: A Case Study, page 150:

But little did I know, As I cleared away that snow, I'd sentenced death upon that rose, For late that night it simply froze. I'd taken its one chance away, As I stripped it of its quilt that day. I learned a lesson late that night, ...

1991, Joe Wayman, If You Promise Not to Tell, Pieces of Learning, →ISBN, page 36:

[…] upholding Idaho statute mandating that court "shall" sentence death upon finding an aggravating circumstance "unless" it finds outweighing mitigating circumstances because satisfies individualized sentencing requirement […]

1996, United States. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit), Annual Report of the Ninth Circuit, page 137

(especially law or poetic) To decree, announce, or pass as a sentence.


brief

From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”). Doublet of merry.

(law) A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.

A written answer or any other brief shall be submitted to the court while allowing a period necessary for the opponent to make preparations with regard to the matters stated therein.

1996, Japanese Rules of Civil Procedure, Article 79, Section 1

ügyvédi megbízás

a writ summoning one to answer to any action

(law) A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.

(law) An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.

(English law) The material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who is counsel for the case.

(English law, slang) A barrister who is counsel for a party in a legal action.


brief

en-verb

brief (third-person singular simple present briefs, present participle briefing, simple past and past participle briefed)

briefs (present singular third-person)
briefing (participle present)
briefed (participle past)
briefed (past)

(transitive, law) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.


pendente lite

From Latin pendente līte (“awaiting the litigation”).


pledge

From Middle English plege, from Anglo-Norman plege, from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“I pledge”), from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”). Akin to Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”), Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”), Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight.

peng

delivery of personal property to secure the payment of a debt

(law) A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.

The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.


condition

en-noun

condition (countable and uncountable, plural conditions)

From Middle English condicioun, from Old French condicion (French condition), from Latin condicio. Unetymological change in spelling due to confusion with conditio.

kunto (e.g. when asked from a patient mikä sun kunto on?)

(only with the suffix -ban in this sense) karban

fee simple subject to condition subsequent

(law) A clause in a contract or agreement indicating that a certain contingency may modify the principal obligation in some way.


incorporate

en-verb

incorporate (third-person singular simple present incorporates, present participle incorporating, simple past and past participle incorporated)

incorporates (present singular third-person)
incorporating (participle present)
incorporated (participle past)
incorporated (past)

/ɪŋˈkɔː.pə.ɹeɪt/

/ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɹeɪt/

/ɪŋˈkɔː.pə.ɹət/

/ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.ət/

/ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.ət/

From Middle English, from Late Latin incorporātus, perfect passive participle of incorporō (“to embody, to incorporate”), from in- (“in”) + corpus, corporis (“body”).

(US, law) To include (another clause or guarantee of the US constitution) as a part (of the Fourteenth Amendment, such that the clause binds not only the federal government but also state governments).


common

en-adj

common (comparative more common, superlative most common)

rare

antonym(s) of “occurring in large numbers or in a large quantity”

From Middle English comun, from Anglo-Norman comun, from Old French comun (rare in the Gallo-Romance languages, but reinforced as a Carolingian calque of Proto-West Germanic *gamainī (“common”) in Old French), from Latin commūnis (“common, public, general”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom-moy-ni-s (“held in common”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to exchange, change”). Displaced native Middle English imene, ȝemǣne (“common, general, universal”) (from Old English ġemǣne (“common, universal”)), Middle English mene, mǣne (“mean, common”) (also from Old English ġemǣne (“common, universal”)), Middle English samen, somen (“in common, together”) (from Old English samen (“together”)). Doublet of gmina.

cog

gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine

common law

As to eleemoſynary corporations, by the dotation the founder and his heirs are of common right the legal viſitors, to ſee that that property is rightly employed, which would otherwiſe have deſcended to the viſitor himſelf: […]

1765, William Blackstone, “Of Corporations”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book I (Of the Rights of Persons), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 469:

(law) Arising from use or tradition, as opposed to being created by a legislative body.


common

(law) The right of taking a profit in the land of another, in common either with the owner or with other persons; so called from the community of interest which arises between the claimant of the right and the owner of the soil, or between the claimants and other commoners entitled to the same right.


bankruptcy

en-noun

bankruptcy (countable and uncountable, plural bankruptcies)

From bankrupt + -cy, replacing earlier bankruptship.

(finance, law) A legally declared or recognized condition of insolvency of a person or organization.

bankrot

legally declared or recognised condition of insolvency


hang

en-verb

hang (third-person singular simple present hangs, present participle hanging, simple past and past participle hung or (law) hanged)

hangs (present singular third-person)
hanging (participle present)
hung (participle past)
hung (past)
hanged (participle past)
hanged (past)

From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, intransitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, transitive verb), from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and *hangēn; also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja (“to suspend”) and hanga (“to be suspended”); all from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną, *hangāną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenk- (“to waver, be in suspense”).
See also Dutch hangen, Low German hangen and hängen, German hängen, Norwegian Bokmål henge, Norwegian Nynorsk henga; also Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (hāhan), Hittite 𒂵𒀀𒀭𒂵 (/kānk-/, “to hang”), Sanskrit शङ्कते (śáṅkate, “is in doubt, hesitates”), Latin cūnctārī (“to delay”).

laat hang

computing: to cause (a program or computer) to stop responding

vystavit

chess: to cause to become vulnerable to capture

freeze

computing: cause (a program or computer) to stop responding

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself

one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb

The culprits were hanged from the nearest tree.

'[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—'

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

As things go from bad to worse for Putin in his maniacal, murderous attack on Ukraine, he could end up like Milosevic, or worse. The court could change its rules and hang him, the way the Allies hanged Nazi war criminals at the end of World War II.

2022 March 10, Peter Lucas, “Lucas: Putin has blood on his hands and The Hague must make him pay”, in Boston Herald, archived from the original on 2022-08-06:

(transitive, law) To kill (someone) by suspension from the neck, usually as a form of execution or suicide.

lynch

execute (someone) by suspension from the neck

You will hang for this, my friend.

(intransitive, law) To be executed by suspension by one's neck from a gallows, a tree, or other raised bar, attached by a rope tied into a noose.


stay

From Middle English steyen, staien, from Old French estayer, estaier (“to fix, prop up, support, stay”), from estaye, estaie (“a prop, stay”), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay”), a contracted form of staede, stade (“a prop, stay, help, aid”) (compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stadi (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tis (“standing”). Influenced by Old English stæġ ("a stay, rope"; see below). Cognate with Old English stede, stæde (“a place, spot, locality, fixed position, station, site, standing, status, position of a moving body, stopping, standing still, stability, fixity, firmness, steadfastness”), Swedish stödja (“to prop, support, brace, hold up, bolster”), Icelandic stöðug (“continuous, stable”). More at stead, steady.
Sense of "remain, continue" may be due to later influence from Old French ester, esteir (“to stand, be, continue, remain”), from Latin stāre (“stand”), from the same Proto-Indo-European root above; however, derivation from this root is untenable based on linguistic and historical grounds.
An alternative etymology derives Old French estaye, estaie, from Frankish *stakā, *stakō (“stake, post”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake, bar, stick, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“rod, pole, stick”), making it cognate with Old English staca (“pin, stake”), Old English stician (“to stick, be placed, lie, remain fixed”). Cognate with Albanian shtagë (“a long stick, a pole”). More at stake, stick.

cog

The governor granted a stay of execution.

Later that day, however, Judge O'Kelley signed a stay of execution when Mr. Potts authorized other attorneys to renew his appeals.

1980 June 25, “A.C.L.U. Seeks to Stay Execution of Georgian”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Just before the deadline Donald Kowalski's attorney, Jack Fena, was able to obtain a stay in order to give him time to file a motion to overturn the testing order.

1988 August 20, Jennie McKnight, “'Free Sharon Kowalski Day' Events Draw National Attention”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 6, page 10:

An appellate judge temporarily stayed the monitor’s work until a three-judge federal appeals panel can decide whether the stay should be kept in place longer while Apple undertakes a full challenge to the appointment of a monitor.

2014 January 21, Matthew Goldstein, “Apple Wins Temporary Stay on Court Monitor”, in New York Times:

(law) A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.


agreement

en-noun

agreement (countable and uncountable, plural agreements)

/əˈɡɹiːmənt/

From Middle English agrement, agreement, from Old French agrement, agreement. Morphologically agree + -ment.

(uncountable, law) A legally binding contract enforceable in a court of law.


withdraw

From Middle English withdrawe (“act of stopping a judicial proceeding”), from withdrawen, withdrauen (verb): see etymology 1.

inh

(law) Synonym of withdraught (“a dismissal of a lawsuit with prejudice based on a plaintiff's withdrawal of the suit; a retraxit; also, a fine imposed on a plaintiff for such a dismissal”)


bankrupt

Partial calque of Italian banca rotta, which refers to an out-of-business bank, having its bench physically broken. When a moneylender in Northern Italy became insolvent, they would break the bench they worked from to signify that they were no longer in business. (Vocabolario Etimologico della Lingua Italiano 1907)

(UK, law, obsolete) A trader who secretes himself, or does certain other acts tending to defraud his creditors.


thing

From Middle English thing, from Old English þing, from Proto-West Germanic *þing, from Proto-Germanic *þingą.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Ding (“thing”), West Frisian ting, ding (“thing”), Dutch ding (“thing”), German Low German Ding (“thing”), German Ding (“thing”), Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ting (“thing”), Faroese ting (“parliament, assembly”), Icelandic þing (“congress, assembly”), Finnish tinki (“haggling”).
The word originally meant "assembly", then came to mean a specific issue discussed at such an assembly, and ultimately came to mean most broadly "an object". Compare Latin rēs, also meaning "legal matter", and same transition from Latin causa (“legal matter”) to "thing" in Romance languages. Modern use to refer to a Germanic assembly is likely influenced by cognates (from the same Proto-Germanic root) like Old Norse þing (“thing”), Danish ting, Swedish ting, and Old High German ding with this meaning.

thang

used to denote a known fad or popular activity

render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's

there ain't no such thing as a free lunch

there's no such thing as a stupid question

throw things at the wall and see what sticks


balance

en-noun

balance (countable and uncountable, plural balances)

bias

antonym(s) of “support for both viewpoints”

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English balaunce, from Old French balance, from Late Latin *bilancia, from (accusative form of) Latin bilanx (“two-scaled”), from bi- + lanx (“plate, scale”).

The balance of the agreement remains in effect.

The invoice said he had only paid $50. The balance was $220.

Balance Luzon (Philippine usage)

(law, business, statistics) The remainder.


act

act (countable and uncountable, plural acts)

From Middle English acte, from Old French acte, from Latin ācta (“register of events”), plural of āctum (“decree, law”), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. Compare German Akte (“file”). Partially displaced deed, from Old English dǣd (“act, deed”).

But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.

2012 March 18, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:

(law, countable) A product of a legislative body, a statute.

act of parliament
act of parliament#English


act

en-verb

act (third-person singular simple present acts, present participle acting, simple past and past participle acted)

acts (present singular third-person)
acting (participle present)
acted (participle past)
acted (past)
act (infinitive)

A lawyer cannot act until they have been formally instructed by their client.

(intransitive, law) To carry out work as a legal representative in relation to a particular legal matter.


sit

sit (third-person singular simple present sits, present participle sitting, simple past sat or (dated, poetic) sate, past participle sat or (archaic, dialectal) sitten)

sits (present singular third-person)
sitting (participle present)
sat (past)
sate (dated past poetic)
sat (participle past)
sitten (archaic dialectal participle past)
sit (infinitive)

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sed-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *sédyeti
Proto-Germanic *sitjaną
Proto-West Germanic *sittjan
Old English sittan
Middle English sitten
English sit
From Middle English sitten, from Old English sittan, from Proto-West Germanic *sittjan, from Proto-Germanic *sitjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“sit”).
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian sitte, Low German sitten, Dutch zitten, German sitzen, Swedish sitta, Norwegian Bokmål sitte, Norwegian Nynorsk sitja; and with Irish suigh, Latin sedeo, Russian сиде́ть (sidétʹ).

etymon

where you stand depends on where you sit

In what city is the circuit court sitting for this session.

(law, government) Of a legislative or, especially, a judicial body such as a court, to be in session.


cause

en-noun

cause (countable and uncountable, plural causes)

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga.
* From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

doublet

(countable, law) A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.


barony

From Middle English baronie, baronye, from Old French baronie, equivalent to baron + -y.

(law) The legal tenure of a baron's land; military tenure.


bible

From Middle English bible, from Middle Latin biblia (“book”) (misinterpreted as a feminine from earlier Latin neuter plural biblia (“books”)), from Ancient Greek βιβλία (biblía, “books”), plural of βιβλίον (biblíon, “small book”), originally a diminutive of βίβλος (bíblos, “book”), from βύβλος (búblos, “papyrus”) (from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material).
Old English used biblioþēce (from βιβλιοθήκη) and ġewritu (> English writs) for "the Scriptures".

Could you please add these to the case bible?

(law) A binder containing copies of the most important documents for a particular matter.


covenant

Covenant (biblical)
Covenant (law)
Covenant (religion)
Covenant marriage
Covenant theology
Covenantal nomism
Mosaic covenant
New Covenant theology
Old Covenant
covenant

From Middle English covenaunt, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveniēns, convenientem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient and convene.

der

(law) An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.

(law) A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.

sitoumus

promise incidental to a deed or contract


covenant

en-verb

covenant (third-person singular simple present covenants, present participle covenanting, simple past and past participle covenanted)

covenants (present singular third-person)
covenanting (participle present)
covenanted (participle past)
covenanted (past)


subpoena

en-noun

subpoena (plural subpoenas or subpoenae or subpoenæ)

subpoenas (plural)
subpoenae (plural)
subpoenæ (plural)

First attested with this spelling in 1623 CE, from earlier subpena, from Middle English sub pena, from Medieval Latin: sub (“under”) and poena (“penalty”), the beginning of the original subpoena used in the Court of Chancery.

Summoned by a stern subpoena Edwin sued by Angelina Shortly will appear.

(law, historical) A writ requiring a defendant to appear in court to answer a plaintiff's claim.

“He won’t be waging wars all the world ― he’ll be waging ‘warsuits,’” Noah said. “Droning people with subpoenas all over the globe.”

2016, David Moye, “Trevor Noah: If Trump Is Elected, He’ll Wage ‘Warsuits’”, in Huffington Post:

(law) A writ requiring someone to appear in court to give testimony.


cattle

cattle pl (normally plural, singular cattle)

From Middle English catel, from Anglo-Norman catel (“personal property”), from Old Northern French (compare French cheptel, Old French chetel, chatel, also English chattel) from Medieval Latin capitāle, from Latin capitālis (“of the head”) (whence also capital, from caput (“head”) + -alis (“-al”)). For the sense evolution, compare pecuniary and fee. Also compare Russian поголо́вье (pogolóvʹje, “total number of livestock”) from Russian голова́ (golová, “head”). Doublet of capital and chattel.

m+

goods and cattle

That then every person so offending and convict, shall for his third offence, forfeit to our Sovereign Lady the Queen, all his goods and cattles, and shall suffer imprisonment during his life.

1552, Parliament of England, An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Service in the Church, and Administration of the Sacraments:

1684 July. Mistris Dorothy Gray, Adminnestratrix of the Goods and Cattles of Mr Edward Gray, late of Plymouth, deceased, […]

1684, Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England, published 1856:

(obsolete, English law, sometimes countable, plural cattles) chattel


base

en-adj

base (comparative baser or more base, superlative basest or most base)

baser (comparative)
more base (comparative)
basest (superlative)
most base (superlative)

From Middle English base, bas, from Old French bas, from Late Latin bassus (“low”). Cognate with Spanish bajo, Italian basso and base.

A base estate is one held by services not honourable, or held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant is a base tenant.

(law) Relating to feudal land tenure held by a tenant from a lord in exchange for services that are seen as unworthy for noblemen to perform, such as villeinage.


chivalry

en-noun

chivalry (usually uncountable, plural chivalries)

/ˈt͡ʃɪvəlɹi/

From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horseman, knight”), from caballus (“horse”). Medieval Latin caballaria (“knighthood, status or fief of a knight”) dates to the 12th century. Doublet of cavalry.

der

(UK, law, historical) A tenure of lands by knightly service.


attachment

en-noun

attachment (countable and uncountable, plural attachments)

From French attachement. By surface analysis, attach + -ment.

attachment of earnings

(law) Taking a person's property to satisfy a court-ordered debt.

արգելանք

legal: taking a person's property to satisfy a debt


cover

cover (countable and uncountable, plural covers)

→ Hijazi Arabic: كَڤَر (kavar)

→ Portuguese: cover

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Italic *kom
Old Latin com
Latin cum
Latin con-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi
Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Latin operiō
Latin cooperiō
Old French covrirbor.
Middle English coveren
English cover
From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“I cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“I close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)).
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir (“to cover”).

cog

throw nickels around like manhole covers

(law) In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the goods contracted for.


baron

From Middle English baroun, from Old French baron, from Latin barōnem, from Proto-West Germanic *barō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear”). Cognate with Old High German baro (“human being, man, freeman”), Old English bora (“a man who bears responsibility, one who is in charge, a ruler”), and perhaps to Old English beorn (“man, warrior”). Used in early Germanic law in the sense of "man, human being".
A Celtic origin has also been suggested; see the quote under sense 3 of Latin barō. However, the OED takes the hypothetical Proto-Celtic *bar- (“hero”) to be a figment.

Coordinate term: wife

baron and femme ― husband and wife


lie

en-verb

lie (third-person singular simple present lies, present participle lying, simple past lay or laid, past participle lain or laid or (obsolete) lien)

lie See usage notes. (canonical)
lies (present singular third-person)
lying (participle present)
lay (past)
laid (past)
lain (participle past)
laid (participle past)
lien (obsolete participle past)
lie (infinitive)

From Middle English lien, liggen, from Old English liċġan, from Proto-West Germanic *liggjan, from Proto-Germanic *ligjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-.
Cognate with West Frisian lizze, Dutch liggen, German liegen, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål ligge, Swedish ligga, Icelandic, Faroese and Norwegian Nynorsk liggja, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (ligan); and with Latin lectus (“bed”), Irish luí, Russian лежа́ть (ležátʹ), Albanian lag (“troop, band, encampment”).
As a noun for position, the noun has the same etymology above as the verb.

cog

a corresponding transitive version of this word

An appeal lies in this case from the ordinary to the arches.

(law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained.


matter

en-noun

matter (countable and uncountable, plural matters)

From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin materia (“wood”), from mater (“mother”), in which case cognate with Old Armenian մայր (mayr, “cedar”) and մայրի (mayri, “forest”). More recently, referred to Proto-Indo-European *dem-. Doublet of Madeira, mata, mater, matrix, and mother.
Displaced Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”), from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”).

lëndë

basic structural component of the universe

Please find attached an invoice for three outstanding matters.

(countable, law) Legal services provided by a lawyer or firm to their client in relation to a particular issue.


back

en-verb

back (third-person singular simple present backs, present participle backing, simple past and past participle backed)

backs (present singular third-person)
backing (participle present)
backed (participle past)
backed (past)

From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback.
Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

pakata

of wind: to shift in an anticlockwise direction

you can't put the shit back in the horse

you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube

you can't put the toothpaste back into the tube

(law, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).


settle

settle (third-person singular simple present settles, present participle settling, simple past and past participle settled)

settles (present singular third-person)
settling (participle present)
settled (participle past)
settled (past)

remove

antonym(s) of “to place in a fixed or permanent condition”

From a merger of two verbs:
* Middle English setlen, from Old English setlan (“to settle, seat, put to rest”), from Old English setl (“seat”) (compare Dutch zetelen (“to be established, settle”)) and
* Middle English sahtlen, seihtlen (“to reconcile, calm, subside”), from Old English sahtlian, ġesehtlian (“to reconcile”), from Old English saht, seht (“settlement, agreement, reconciliation, peace”) (see saught, -le).
German siedeln (“to settle”) is related to the former of the two verbs, but is not an immediate cognate of either of them.

cog

To establish or become established in a steady position:

(transitive, law) To formally, legally secure (an annuity, property, title, etc) on (a person).


l

Abbreviation.
# (stenoscript) the sound sequence /ɛl/.
# (stenoscript) Abbreviation of will.
# (stenoscript) Abbreviation of well.
# (stenoscript) Abbreviation of all.
# (stenoscript) the suffix -ly or word-final syllable /liː/.


breaking and entering

(law) The crime of gaining unauthorized entry into another's property, usually by breaking part of a building (a lock, door, window, etc.)

murtautuminen

not by itself considered a crime in Finnish law; burglaries are categorized under theft


demurrer

From Anglo-Norman demurrer, form of Old French demourer (“to demur”), infinitive used as noun.

In a demurrer filed on 28 February to the Los Angeles county superior court, Franco’s lawyers asked that the lawsuit filed in October by Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal be dismissed, saying none of the alleged events detailed had happened, and the statute of limitations had passed for the accusations.

2020 March 3, Andrew Pulver, “(please specify the article title)”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:

(law) A motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defense, and hence whether the party bringing the motion is required to answer or proceed further.


burglary

en-noun

burglary (countable and uncountable, plural burglaries)

From New Latin burglaria. Equivalent to burglar + -y. Displaced native Old English hūsbryċe (literally “house-breach”).

ncog

breaking and entering
breaking and entering

The crime of unlawfully breaking into a vehicle, house, store, or other enclosure with the intent to steal.

(law) Under the common law, breaking and entering of the dwelling of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.

(law, US) Under the Model Penal Code, entering a building or occupied structure with purpose to commit a crime therein, unless the premises are at the time open to the public or the actor is licensed or privileged to enter.


array

en-noun

array (countable and uncountable, plural arrays)

From Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-Norman arraier (compare Old French arraier, areer (“to put in order”)), from Medieval Latin arrēdō (“to put in order, arrange, array”), from *rēdum (“preparation, order”), from Frankish *raid or *raidā (“preparation, order”) or Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (garaiþs, “ready, prepared”), from Proto-Germanic *raidaz, *raidiz (“ready”). Compare Old English rād (“condition, stipulation”), Old High German antreitī (“order, rank”). Doublet of ready.

cog

(law) A ranking or setting forth in order, by the proper officer, of a jury as impanelled in a cause; the panel itself; or the whole body of jurors summoned to attend the court.


array

en-verb

array (third-person singular simple present arrays, present participle arraying, simple past and past participle arrayed)

arrays (present singular third-person)
arraying (participle present)
arrayed (participle past)
arrayed (past)

Alſo, though there be no perſonal objection againſt the ſheriff, yet if he arrays the panel at the nomination, or under the direction of either party, this is good cauſe of challenge to the array.

1768, William Blackstone, “Of the Trial by Jury”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 359:

(law) To set in order, as a jury, for the trial of a cause; that is, to call them one at a time.


accusatorial

en-adj

accusatorial (comparative more accusatorial, superlative most accusatorial)

more accusatorial (comparative)
most accusatorial (superlative)

(law) Of or pertaining to the system of a public trial in which the facts are ascertained by the judge or jury from evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence.

akkusatorinen

Of or pertaining to the public trial system


deposit

Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *dē
Latin dē
Latin dē-
Proto-Italic *pozinō
Latin pōnō
Latin dēpōnō
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Italic *-tos
Latin -tus
Latin deposituslbor.
English deposit
Learned borrowing from Latin depositus, past participle of depono (“put down”). Doublet of depot.

etymon

(law) Bailment of personal property to be kept gratuitously for the bailor (depositor) and without any benefit to the bailee (depositary), e.g. for storage, carriage, repair, etc.


plea

From Middle English ple, from Old French plait, plaid, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc., Latin an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placere (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleito (“lawsuit, suit”). Doublet of placit. See also please, pleasure.

eccezione

law: that which is alleged by a party in support of his cause

(law) That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause.

(law) An allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer.

(law) The defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s declaration and demand.

защитна реч

law: defendant's answer to plaintiff’s declaration

they or any three of them shall be a Court and have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed.

1782, "An Act establishing a Supreme Judicial Court within the Commonwealth", quoted in The Constitutional History of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Frank Washburn Grinnell, 1917, page 434

(law) A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common Pleas.


tail

From Anglo-Norman, probably from a shortened form of entail.

estate tail

(law) Limited; abridged; reduced; curtailed.


tail

tail male ― limitation to male heirs

in tail ― subject to such a limitation

(law) Limitation of inheritance to certain heirs.


demur

en-verb

demur (third-person singular simple present demurs, present participle demurring, simple past and past participle demurred)

demurs (present singular third-person)
demurring (participle present)
demurred (participle past)
demurred (past)
demur (infinitive)

PIE word
 *de
From Middle English demuren (“to delay; to linger; to remain (in office); to keep, retain (?)”), from Anglo-Norman demorer and Old French demorer, demourer (“to remain, stay”) (modern French demeurer), from Vulgar Latin dēmorāre, from Latin dēmorārī, the present active infinitive of Latin dēmoror (“to delay, detain; to linger, tarry”), from de- (intensifying prefix) + moror (“to delay, detain; to hinder, impede; to linger, loiter”) (from mora (“a delay; hindrance, obstacle”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to fall into thinking; to remember”), probably referring to a time for thinking) + -or (variant of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).

der

He that demurreth in Law confeſſeth all ſuch matters of fact as are well and ſufficiently pleaded.

1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Escuage”, in The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, →OCLC, book 2, chapter 3, section 97, folio 72, recto:

The plaintiff demurred, that is to say, admitted Sir Edward [Hales]'s plea to be true in fact, but denied that it was a sufficient answer.

1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VI, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 84:

(law) To submit a demurrer (“motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defence, and hence whether the party bringing the motion is required to answer or proceed further”).


demur

From Middle English demure, demore (“a delay, demur; a sojourn, stay”), from Old French demure, demore, demuere (“a delay, demur”) (modern French demeure), from Old French demorer, demourer (verb): see etymology 1.

[W]ith Rejoinders and Replies, / Long Bills, and Anſvvers, ſtuft vvith Lies, / Demurr, Imparlance, and Eſſoign, / The Parties ne'er could Iſſue join: / For Sixteen Years the Cauſe vvas ſpun, / And then ſtood vvhere it firſt begun.

1726, [Jonathan Swift], Cadenus and Vanessa. A Poem, London: […] J. Roberts […], →OCLC, page 9:

(law) Synonym of demurrer (“a motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defence, and hence whether the party bringing the motion is required to answer or proceed further”)


constitution

PIE word
 *ḱóm
From Middle English constitucioun, constitucion (“edict, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, statute; body of laws or rules, or customs; body of fundamental principles; principle or rule (of science); creation”) from Old French constitucion (modern French constitution), a learned borrowing from Latin cōnstitūtiō, cōnstitūtiōnem (“character, constitution, disposition, nature; definition; point in dispute; order, regulation; arrangement, system”), from cōnstituō (“to establish, set up; to confirm; to decide, resolve”). Equivalent to constitute + -ion.

(law) A legal document describing such a formal system.

រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ

rŏət thŏəmmĕəʼnuñ


instrumentality

en-noun

instrumentality (countable and uncountable, plural instrumentalities)

Any work in which the copyright was ever owned or administered by the Alien Property Custodian and in which the restored copyright would be owned by a government or instrumentality thereof, is not a restored work.

1994, Title 17 of the United States Code, §104A(a)(2):

(countable, law) A governmental organ with a specific purpose.


colloquy

colloquy (countable and uncountable, plural colloquies)

soliloquy

antonym(s) of “a conversation of multiple people”

From Middle English colloquies pl, from Latin colloquium (“conversation”), from com- (“together, with”) (English com-) + form of loquor (“speak”) (from which English locution and other words). Doublet of colloquium.

At the end of the colloquy, Judge Spicer asked Carr whether anyone had "pressured" him into accepting the deal.

1999, H. L. Pohlman, The Whole Truth?: A Case of Murder on the Appalachian Trail, →ISBN, page 193:

(law) A discussion during a trial in which a judge ensures that the defendant understands what is taking place in the trial and what their rights are.


device

From Middle English devis, devise, devyce, devys, devyse, from Old French devis and devise, from Latin dīvīsus, past participle of dīvidō (“to divide”). Doublet of devise (noun).

(law) An image used in whole or in part as a trademark or service mark.

tunnusmerkki

law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark


count

en-verb

count (third-person singular simple present counts, present participle counting, simple past and past participle counted)

counts (present singular third-person)
counting (participle present)
counted (participle past)
counted (past)
count (infinitive)

From Middle English counten, borrowed from Anglo-Norman conter, from Old French conter (“add up; tell a story”), from Latin computō (“I compute”). In this sense, displaced native Old English tellan, whence Modern English tell. Doublet of compute.

der

almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

close only counts in horseshoes and darts

close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched

don't count your chickens before they're hatched

(intransitive, UK, law, obsolete) To plead orally; to argue a matter in court; to recite a count.


count

(law) A charge of misconduct brought in a legal proceeding.


opinion

en-noun

opinion (countable and uncountable, plural opinions)

From English opine + -ion, from Middle English opinion, opinioun, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French opinion, from Latin opīniō, from opīnor (“to opine”). Displaced native Old English wēna.

(European Union law) A judicial opinion delivered by an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice where he or she proposes a legal solution to the cases for which the court is responsible.

заключе́ние

EU: a judicial opinion by an Advocate General delivered to the European Court of Justice


loan

From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic *laihną, from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave (over)”).
Cognate with Icelandic lán, Swedish lån, Danish lån, German Lehen (“fief”), Dutch leen (“fief”), West Frisian lien, North Frisian leen (“fief; loan; office”), Scots lane, lain, len, Old English lǣn. More at lend.

cog

Because of the loan that John made to me, I was able to pay my tuition for the upcoming semester.

(law, banking, finance) An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.

All loans from the library, whether books or audio material, must be returned within two weeks.

He got a loan of five thousand pounds.

That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

(law, banking, finance) A sum of money or other property that a natural or legal person borrows from another with the condition that it be returned or repaid over time or at a later date (sometimes with interest).


fact

en-noun

fact (countable and uncountable, plural facts)

From Old French fact, from Latin factum (“an act, deed, feat, etc.”); also Medieval Latin for “state, condition, circumstance”; neuter of factus (“done or made”), perfect passive participle of faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). Old/Middle French later evolved it into faict and fait. Doublet of feat.

der

He had become an accessory after the fact.

She was empassiond at that piteous act, / With zelous enuy of Greekes cruell fact, / Against that nation [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

His friends still wrought Repreeves for him: And indeed his fact till now in the government of Lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtfull proofe.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 76, column 2:

Gentlemen of the Jury, I think I need say but little on this matter: They all confess the fact of which they stand indicted. Some of them were old offenders, and all of them were proved to be at the taking of capt. Manwareing's sloop, and all took their shares: so that I think the fact is very fully and clearly proved upon them.

1819, T. Howell, A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and Other Crimes and Misdemeanors:

(law, obsolete except in set phrases) A wrongful or criminal deed.


dead

en-adj

dead (not generally comparable, comparative deader, superlative deadest)

deader (comparative)
deadest (superlative)

From Middle English ded, deed, from Old English dēad, from Proto-West Germanic *daud, from Proto-Germanic *daudaz. Compare West Frisian dead, dea, Dutch dood, German tot, Danish, Norwegian død, Norwegian Nynorsk daud.

(to have) gone to one's final resting place

A person who is banished or who becomes a monk is civilly dead.

(law) Cut off from the rights of a citizen; deprived of the power of enjoying the rights of property.


party

→ Bulgarian: парти (parti)

desc

Cantonese: → 派對／派对 (paai³ deoi³), → party, ⇒ P

→ Dhivehi: ޕާޓީ (pāṭī)

→ Hindi: पार्टी (pārṭī)

→ Hindi: पार्टी (pārṭī)

→ Japanese: パーティー (pātī)

→ Korean: 파티 (pati)

→ Maori: pāti

→ Malay: parti

→ Mandarin: 趴體／趴体 (pātǐ), 派對／派对 (pàiduì)

→ Russian: парти (parti)

From Middle English party, partye, partie, from Anglo-Norman partie, from Medieval Latin partīta (“a part, party”), from Latin partīta, feminine of partītus, past participle of partior (“to divide”); see part. Doublet of partita.

حِزْب

group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest etc.

business in the front, party in the back

The contract requires that the party of the first part pay the fee.

if the Jury had found that the party slain had been of English race and nation, it had been adjudged felony

1612, Sir John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued:

(law) A person or group of people constituting a particular side in a contract or legal action.

طَرَف

law: particular side in a contract or legal action


dry

en-adj

dry (comparative drier or dryer, superlative driest or dryest)

drier (comparative)
dryer (comparative)
driest (superlative)
dryest (superlative)

wet

antonym(s) of “abstinent from or banning alcohol”

wet

antonym(s) of “not using afterburners or water injection”

wet

of a scientist or lab: doing computation

Sranan Tongo: drei

[d̠͡ɹ̠˔ʷaɪ̯]

Adjective and noun from Middle English drye, dryge, drüȝe, from Old English drȳġe (“dry; parched, withered”), from Proto-West Germanic *drūgī, *draugī, from Proto-Germanic *drūgiz, *draugiz (“dry, hard”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“to strengthen; become hard”), from *dʰer- (“to hold, support”). The verb derives from Middle English drien, from Old English drȳġan (“to dry”), from Proto-West Germanic *drūgijan, from Proto-Germanic *drūgiz (“hard, desiccated, dry”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“strong, hard, solid”).
cognates and related terms
 Cognate with Scots dry, drey (“dry”), North Frisian drüg, driig, Saterland Frisian druuch (“dry”), West Frisian droech (“dry”), Dutch droog (“dry”), Low German dröög (“dry”), German dröge (“dull”), Icelandic draugur (“a dry log”). Related also to German trocken (“dry”), West Frisian drege (“long-lasting”), Danish drøj (“tough”), Swedish dryg (“lasting, hard”), Icelandic drjúgur (“ample, long”), Latin firmus (“strong, firm, stable, durable”). See also drought, drain, dree.

cog

you don't miss the water till the well runs dry

you never miss the water till the well runs dry

you never miss the water until the well runs dry

You'll have to drive out of this dry county to find any liquor.

(law) Describing an area where sales of alcoholic or strong alcoholic beverages are banned.


pass

en-verb

pass (third-person singular simple present passes, present participle passing, simple past and past participle passed)

passes (present singular third-person)
passing (participle present)
passed (participle past)
passed (past)

From Middle English passen, from Old French passer (“to step, walk, pass”), from Vulgar Latin *passāre (“step, walk, pass”), derived from Latin passus (“a step”), from pandere (“spread, unfold, stretch”), from Proto-Italic *patnō, from Proto-Indo-European *pth₂noh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread, stretch out”). Cognate with Old English fæþm (“armful, fathom”). More at fathom.
Displaced native Old English gengan.

اِجْتَازَ

to go through any inspection or test successfully

hyväksyttää

to cause to advance by stages of process

The estate passes by the third clause in Mr Smith's deed to his son.

When the old king passed away with only a daughter as an heir, the throne passed to a woman for the first time in centuries.

(intransitive, law) To be conveyed or transferred by will, deed, or other instrument of conveyance.

siirtyä

law: to be conveyed or transferred by will, deed, or other instrument of conveyance

And within three dayes twelve knyghtes passed uppon hem; and they founde Sir Palomydes gylty, and Sir Saphir nat gylty, of the lordis deth.

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X:

(intransitive, law) To make a judgment on or upon a person or case.


suit

desc

→ Kashubian: sut (Canada, United States)

→ Swahili: suti

From Middle English sute, borrowed from Anglo-Norman suite and Old French sieute, siute (modern suite), originally a participle adjective from Vulgar Latin *sequita (for secūta), from Latin sequi (“to follow”), because the component garments "follow each other", i.e. are worn together. See also the doublet suite. Cognate with Italian seguire and Spanish seguir. Related to sue and segue.

If you take my advice, you'll file a suit against him immediately.

(law) The attempt to gain an end by legal process; a process instituted in a court of law for the recovery of a right or claim; a lawsuit.


note

en-verb

note (third-person singular simple present notes, present participle noting, simple past and past participle noted)

notes (present singular third-person)
noting (participle present)
noted (participle past)
noted (past)

From Middle English note, from Old English not, nōt (“note, mark, sign”) and Old French note (“letter, note”), both from Latin nota (“mark, sign, remark, note”).

By noting the protest, notaries could date certificates when they were received, making it easier to comply with time restrictions associated with protesting.

2020 October 28, Kimberly Budd for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, case SJC-12769

(transitive, law) To record on the back of (a bill, draft, etc.) a refusal of acceptance, as the ground of a protest, which is done officially by a notary.


naam

From Middle English nam, naam, from Old English nām (“seizure of property”), probably from Old Norse nám (“occupation; acquisition, learning, study”, literally “taking”), from Proto-Germanic *nēmō (“taking”), from Proto-Germanic *nemaną (“to take”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to take”). Cognate with Old English nǣm (“taking, acceptance”), Old High German nāma ("seizure, confiscation"; > German Nahme).

gloss

"seizure, confiscation"; > German <i class="Latn mention" lang="de">Nahme</i>

(obsolete, law) The taking of property for the purpose of compensation.

(obsolete, law) Goods taken in such a manner.


nonability

(law) An exception taken against a plaintiff in a cause, when he is unable legally to commence a suit.


change of venue

en-noun

change of venue (plural changes of venue)

The defense moved for a change of venue, as the media coverage had made selecting an impartial jury from the small town impossible.

(law) The relocation of a trial to a locale other than that in which the case was first brought before a court.


information

information (usually uncountable, plural informations)

/ˌɪn.fəˈmæɪ.ʃən/

From Middle English informacion, enformacion, borrowed from Anglo-Norman informacioun, enformation, Old French information, from Latin īnfōrmātiō (“formation, conception; education”), from the participle stem of īnformāre (“to inform”).

der

information and communications technology

On May 21, 1792, the Attorney General filed an information against Paine charging him with seditious libel.

1968, Carl B. Cone, The English Jacobins, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, page 131:

(law, countable) A statement of criminal activity brought before a judge or magistrate; in the UK, used to inform a magistrate of an offence and request a warrant; in the US, an accusation brought before a judge without a grand jury indictment.


precedent

From Middle French, from Old French, from Latin praecēdēns, present participle of praecēdere (“to precede”); See precede.

(law) A decided case which is cited or used as an example to justify a judgment in a subsequent case.

прецедент

leading case which is cited to justify a judgment


precedent

en-verb

precedent (third-person singular simple present precedents, present participle precedenting, simple past and past participle precedented)

precedents (present singular third-person)
precedenting (participle present)
precedented (participle past)
precedented (past)

(transitive, law) To provide precedents for.

(transitive, law) To be a precedent for.


execute

execute (third-person singular simple present executes, present participle executing, simple past and past participle executed)

executes (present singular third-person)
executing (participle present)
executed (participle past)
executed (past)

From Old French executer (French exécuter), from Latin exsecutus, past participle of exsequor, from ex- (“out”) + sequor (“to follow”).

to execute a contract

(transitive, law) To carry out, to perform an act; to put into effect or cause to become legally binding or valid (as a contract) by so doing.

executar

to sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid


EOD

(finance, law) Initialism of event of default.


file

file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)

files (present singular third-person)
filing (participle present)
filed (participle past)
filed (past)

From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.

She filed for divorce the next day.

The company filed for bankruptcy when the office opened on Monday.

They filed for a refund under their warranty.

(intransitive, with for, chiefly law) To submit a formal request to some office.


ABC

en-noun

ABC (countable and uncountable, plural ABCs)

Like foreclosure, an assignment for the benefit of creditors (ABC) is a creature of state law. ABCs have long been popular in a few states, most notably California and Illinois, but they are beginning to gain traction in other states as a less expensive alternative to bankruptcy.

2010, Pepper Hamilton, “Alternatives to bankruptcy”, in John Wm. Butler, Jr, editor, Navigating Today's Environment: The Directors' and Officers' Guide to Restructuring, Globe White Page Ltd, →ISBN, page 205:

w:assignment for the benefit of creditors

(law, finance) Initialism of assignment for the benefit of creditors.


tare

en-verb

tare (third-person singular simple present tares, present participle taring, simple past and past participle tared)

tares (present singular third-person)
taring (participle present)
tared (participle past)
tared (past)

Borrowed from Middle French tare, from Italian tara, from Arabic طَرْحَة (ṭarḥa, “that which is thrown away”), a derivative of طَرَحَ (ṭaraḥa, “to throw (away)”).

der

he is […] to tare such number of bales as may be deemed necessary to settle the net weight for duty.

1886, Records of the History, Laws, Regulations, and Statistics of the Tobacco Trade of the United Kingdom, page 86:

Without question, I think, the exploit of "Jubilee" No. 45737 Atlas [...] was the finest [...], for the train was made up to eleven bogies taring the maximum of 350 tons for an engine of this class, notwithstanding which 7 min. was gained on schedule.

1959 December, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 610:

(chiefly business and law) To take into account the weight of the container, wrapping etc. in weighting merchandise.

tarreren

to take into account the weight of a container


tack

From Middle English tak, take (“fee, tax (on livestock)”), from Old Norse tak, taka (“a taking, seizure; revenue”), from Old Norse taka (“to take”). Cognate with Scots tack.

In the Breadalbane papers, for example, there is a "tack" which was given by Sir John Campbell of Glenurchy to his "weil belouit" servant John M'Conoquhy V'Gregour, in the year 1530.

1885, Lord Colin Campbell, The Crofter in History:

(law, Scotland and Northern England) A contract by which the use of a thing is set, or let, for hire; a lease.


seize

en-verb

seize (third-person singular simple present seizes, present participle seizing, simple past and past participle seized)

seizes (present singular third-person)
seizing (participle present)
seized (participle past)
seized (past)

Earlier seise, from Middle English seisen, sesen, saisen, from Old French seisir (“to take possession of; invest (person, court)”), from Early Medieval Latin sacīre (“to lay claim to, appropriate”) (8th century) in the phrase ad propriam sacire, from Old Low Frankish *sakjan (“to sue, bring legal action”), from Proto-Germanic *sakjaną, *sakōną (compare Old English sacian (“to strive, brawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *sakaną (compare Old Saxon sakan (“to accuse”), Old High German sahhan (“to bicker, quarrel, rebuke”), Old English sacan (“to quarrel, claim by law, accuse”). Cognate to sake and Latin sagio (“to perceive acutely”).

cog

(transitive, law) Alternative spelling of seise (“to vest ownership of an estate in land”).

This Court will remain seized of this matter.

(law) (with of) To cause (an action or matter) to be or remain before (a certain judge or court).


annexation

en-noun

annexation (countable and uncountable, plural annexations)

From Medieval Latin annexation-, stem of annexatio (“action of annexing”), from past participle of annecto.

(law) A legal merging of a territory into another body.


CD

CD (countable and uncountable, plural CDs)

Abbreviation of various terms and phrases.

(UK, law) Initialism of controlled drug.


division

division (countable and uncountable, plural divisions)

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English divisioun, from Old French division, from Latin dīvīsiō, dīvīsiōnem, noun of process form from perfect passive participle dīvīsus (“divided”), from dīvidō (“divide”). Doublet of divisio.

remainder left over if divisor does not divide dividend

(law) A concept whereby a common group of debtors are only responsible for their proportionate sum of the total debt.


standard of care

standard of care (plural standards of care)

(law) In tort law, the degree of caution that a reasonable person should exercise in a given situation so as to avoid causing injury.


burden of production

burden of production (plural burdens of production)

(law) The duty upon a party in a legal proceeding to introduce enough evidence relating to an assertion of fact to have the issue be considered by the fact-finder rather than summarily dismissed or decided; part of the burden of proof.


burden of persuasion

burden of persuasion (plural burdens of persuasion)

(law) The duty upon a party in a legal proceeding to persuade the fact-finder to decide for that party on an assertion of fact; part of the burden of proof, sometimes loosely used as synonym for that term.


reasonable person

reasonable person (plural reasonable persons or reasonable people)

reasonable persons (plural)
reasonable people (plural)

(law) A fictional person used as a comparative legal standard to represent an average member of society and how he or she would behave or think, especially in determining negligence; sometimes formulated as "a person of ordinary prudence exercising due care in like circumstances."

理性自然人

a fictional person used as a comparative legal standard to represent an average member of society


plaintiff

From Middle English plaintif, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French plaintif (“complaining”; as a noun, “one who complains, a plaintiff”) from the verb plaindre. Doublet of plaintive.

der

(law, UK historical, otherwise current) A party bringing a suit in civil law against a defendant; accuser.


negligence

en-noun

negligence (usually uncountable, plural negligences)

/ˈnɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/

From Middle English necligence, negligence, from Old French negligence, from Latin neglegentia.

(law, singular only) The tort whereby a duty of reasonable care was breached, causing damage: any conduct short of intentional or reckless action that falls below the legal standard for preventing unreasonable injury.

(law, uncountable) The breach of a duty of care: the failure to exercise a standard of care that a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.

անփութություն

law: failure to exercise a standard of care (law)


civil law

civil law (countable and uncountable, plural civil laws)

(law) The body of law dealing with the private relations between members of a community; it contrasts with criminal law, military law and ecclesiastical law.

gwir keodedel

body of law dealing with private relations

(law) Legal system based on the Corpus Juris Civilis; it contrasts with common law.

قَانُون مَدَنِيّ

legal system contrasting with common law


burden of proof

burden of proof (plural burdens of proof)

burden of production
burden of production

burden of persuasion
burden of persuasion

(law) The duty of a party in a legal proceeding to prove an assertion of fact; it includes both the burden of production and the burden of persuasion; the onus probandi.

extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence


criminal law

criminal law (countable and uncountable, plural criminal laws)

(law) The area of law pertaining to crime and punishment.

(law) A specific statute, ordinance, regulation, or other source of law that deems an action to be a crime.


defendant

From Middle English defendaunt (“defendant in a suit; defender”), borrowed from Old French defendant, nominalisation of defendant; see above.

inh

(law) In civil proceedings, the party responding to the complaint; one who is sued and called upon to make satisfaction for a wrong complained of by another.

(law) In criminal proceedings, the accused.


call

en-noun

call (countable and uncountable, plural calls)

→ Armenian: քոլ (kʻol)

→ Georgian: ქოლი (koli)

From Middle English callen, from Old English ceallian (“to call, shout”) and Old Norse kalla (“to call; shout; refer to as; name”); both from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną (“to call, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *golH-so- (“voice, cry”), from *gel(H)- (“to vocalize, call, shout”).
cognates
* Scots call
* caw, ca (“to call, cry, shout”)
* Dutch kallen (“to chat, talk”),
* German kallen (“to call”) obsolete
* Swedish kalla (“to call, refer to, beckon”)
* Norwegian kalle (“to call, name”)
* Danish kalde (“to call, name”)
* Icelandic kalla (“to call, shout, name”)
* Welsh galw (“to call, demand”)
* Polish głos (“voice”)
* Lithuanian gal̃sas (“echo”)
* Russian голос (golos, “voice”)
* Albanian gjuhë (“language, tongue”).

cog

the call is coming from inside the house

(US, law) A reference to, or statement of, an object, course, distance, or other matter of description in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a corresponding object, etc., on the land.

The work was done by two lawyers, one a 1983 call and the other a 2010 call.

2020 October 28, Master K.E. Jolley, “Korlyakov v. Riesz, 2020 ONSC 6622”, in CanLII, retrieved 2021-06-19:

(law) A lawyer who was called to the bar (became licensed as a lawyer) in a specified year.


CDA

en-noun

CDA (countable and uncountable, plural CDAs)

(law) Initialism of criminal defense attorney.


AAA

Agricultural Adjustment Act
w:Agricultural Adjustment Act

(US, historical, law) Initialism of Agricultural Adjustment Act.

Black's ideas were first implemented when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933,* which became the heart and soul of New Deal* agricultural policy. The legislation created the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) to implement Black's ideas. […] Under the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the AAA would negotiate “marketing agreements” in which individual farmers agreed to reduce production.

2001, James S. Olson, “Agricultural Adjustment Administration”, in Historical Dictionary of the Great Depression, 1929–1940, Greenwood Press, →ISBN, page 5:

(US, historical, law) Initialism of Agricultural Adjustment Administration.


CC

Creative Commons
Creative Commons#English


tort

From Middle English tort (“(uncountable) wrong; (countable) an injury, a wrong”), from Old French tort (“misdeed, wrong”) (modern French tort (“an error, wrong; a fault”)), from Medieval Latin tortum (“injustice, wrong”), a noun use of a neuter singular participle form of Latin tortus (“crooked; twisted”), the perfect passive participle of torqueō (“to bend or twist awry, distort”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- (“to spin; to turn”).
cognates
* Galician torto (“(adjective) bent; crooked; twisted; (noun, archaic) harm, offence; injustice, wrong, tort”)
* Italian torto (“(adjective) bent; crooked; twisted; (noun, archaic) injustice, wrong”)
* Norwegian Bokmål tort (dated, now only in fixed expressions)
* Norwegian Nynorsk tort (dated, now only in fixed expressions)
* Occitan tort
* Old French tort (modern French tort)
* Portuguese torto (“(adjective) bent; crooked; twisted; (noun, archaic) harm, offence; injustice, wrong”)
* Spanish tuerto (“injury, offence”)

cog

[…] Wrong or Iniury, is in French aptly called Tort, becauſe Iniury & wrong is wreſted or crooked, being contrary to that which is right and ſtreight. […] And Britton ſaith that Tort a la ley eſt contrarye [a wrong to the law is contrary], and as aptly for the cauſe aforeſaid is iniury in English called wrong.

[1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Of Rents”, in The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, →OCLC, book 2, chapter 12, section 234, folio 158, verso:

Personal actions are ſuch vvhereby a man claims a debt, or perſonal duty, or damages in lieu thereof; and likevviſe vvhereby a man claims a ſatisfaction in damages for ſome injury done to his perſon or property. The former are ſaid to be founded on contracts, the latter upon torts or vvrongs: […] of the latter all actions for treſpaſſes, nuſances, aſſaults, defamatory vvords, and the like.

1768, William Blackstone, “Of Wrongs, and Their Remedies, Respecting the Rights of Persons”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 117:

A tort is a legal wrong committed upon the person or property independent of contract. It may be either (1) a direct invasion of some legal right of the individual; (2) the infraction of some public duty by which special damage accrues to the individual; (3) the violation of some private obligation by which like damage accrues to the individual.

1891, Henry Campbell Black, “TORT”, in A Dictionary of Law […], St. Paul, Minn.: West Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 1178, column 1:

(law) A wrongful act, whether intentional or negligent, regarded as non-criminal and unrelated to a contract, which causes an injury and can be remedied in civil court, usually through the awarding of damages.

الضرر في القانون

wrongful act, regarded as non-criminal and unrelated to a contract, which causes an injury


declaration

en-noun

declaration (countable and uncountable, plural declarations)

/ˌdɛkləˈɹeɪʃən/

From Middle English declaration, declaracion, declaracioun, from Old French declaration (French déclaration), from Latin dēclārātiōnem, accusative of Latin dēclārātiō.

(law) In common law, the formal document specifying plaintiff's cause of action, including the facts necessary to sustain a proper cause of action, and to advise the defendant of the grounds upon which he is being sued.


onus

onus (countable and uncountable, plural onuses or onera)

Learned borrowing from Latin onus (literally “burden”).

lbor

The argument is founded on a principle which is now acknowledged to be universal; and the onus of disproof must lie with those who may be bold enough to take up the position that a region exists where at last the Principle of Continuity fails.

1883, Henry Drummond, Natural Law in the Spiritual World:


depose

en-verb

depose (third-person singular simple present deposes, present participle deposing, simple past and past participle deposed)

deposes (present singular third-person)
deposing (participle present)
deposed (participle past)
deposed (past)

Recorded since c.1300, from Middle English, from Old French deposer, from de- (“down”) + poser (“to put, place”). Deposition (1494 in the legal sense) belongs to deposit, but that related word and depose became thoroughly confused.

(law, intransitive) To give evidence or testimony, especially in response to interrogation during a deposition

After we deposed the claimant we had enough evidence to avoid a trial.

Depose him in the justice of his cause.

1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

(law, transitive) To interrogate and elicit testimony from during a deposition; typically done by a lawyer.


maintenance

en-noun

maintenance (usually uncountable, plural maintenances)

From Middle English mayntenaunce, from Old French maintenance, from maintenir, from Latin manus tenēre (“to hold in the hand”). By surface analysis, maintain + -ance.
Note that maintain has undergone a sound and spelling change, hence is spelt with -tain-, rather than the -ten- still found in maintenance.

der

(law) A tort and (in some jurisdictions) an offence committed when a third party who does not have a bona fide interest in a lawsuit provides help or acquires an interest to a litigant's lawsuit.

(law, UK) Alimony, a periodical payment or a lump sum made or ordered to be made to a spouse after a divorce.


quash

en-verb

quash (third-person singular simple present quashes, present participle quashing, simple past and past participle quashed)

quashes (present singular third-person)
quashing (participle present)
quashed (participle past)
quashed (past)

From Middle English quaschen, quasshen, cwessen, quassen, from Old French quasser, from Latin quassāre, present active infinitive of quassō, under the influence of cassō (“I annul”), from Latin quatiō (“I shake”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁t- (“to shake”) (same root for the English words: pasta, paste, pastiche, pastry). Cognate with Dutch kwetsen (“to hurt, injure”), German quetschen (“to crush, squash”), Spanish quejar (“to complain”).

qual

In the case of an appeal against conviction the Court shall, if they allow the appeal, quash the conviction.

1968, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Section 2(2)”, in Criminal Appeal Act 1968^(Criminal Appeal Act 1968), page 2:

(law) To void or suppress (a subpoena, decision, etc.).

отменям

to void or suppress (a subpoena, decision)


circuit

From Middle English circuit, from Old French circuit, from Latin circuitus (“a going round”), from circuire (“go round”), from circum (“around”) + ire. As a Chinese administrative division, a calque of Chinese 道 (dào) or 路 (lù).

piiri

Methodist Church: district in which an itinerant preacher labors

dao

Imperial Chinese administrative divisions

(law) The jurisdiction of certain judges within a state or country, whether itinerant or not.


accounting

en-noun

accounting (usually uncountable, plural accountings)

* First attested in the late 14th century.
* account + -ing

In contrast, an accounting for profits, or accounting— a distinct form of relief that the majority groups with disgorgement — has a well-accepted definition: It compels a defendant to account for, and repay to a plaintiff, those profits that belong to the plaintiff in equity.

2020, Liu v. SEC (U.S. Supreme Court No. 18-1501), Justice Thomas dissenting

(law) An equitable remedy requiring wrongfully obtained profits to be distributed to those who deserve them.


condemn

en-verb

condemn (third-person singular simple present condemns, present participle condemning, simple past and past participle condemned)

condemns (present singular third-person)
condemning (participle present)
condemned (participle past)
condemned (past)

From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.

cog

(transitive) To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.

(transitive, law) To declare (a vessel) to be unfit for service.

todeta merikelvottomaksi

to declare a vessel forfeited or unfit for service

(transitive, law) To declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government or to be a prize.


limited liability company

en-noun

limited liability company (plural limited liability companies)

incorporated company
incorporated company

(law) A type or form of for-profit incorporated company where ownership is divided into shares, and where the governing rules are set forth in a contract entered into by all of the initial shareholders. The name derives from the fact that regardless of potential losses or even bankruptcy of the corporation, individual shareholders will bear a maximum liability of the price they paid for their shares.

սահմանափակն պատասխանատվությամբ ընկերություն

besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid

有限責任会社

ゆうげんせきにんがいしゃ

óbščestvo s ograníčennoj otvétstvennostʹju

о́бщество с ограни́ченной отве́тственностью


protestant

See Protestant. The legal sense either has the same source or is simply protest + -ant.

These are too mean parts of the pageant: and you don't hear widows' cries or mothers' sobs in the midst of the shouts and jubilation in the great Chorus of Victory. And yet when was the time that such have not cried out: heart-broken, humble protestants, unheard in the uproar of the triumph!

1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

1915 November 3, decision in the case of the State of New Mexico v. Garrett, published in 1916 among the Decisions of the Department of the Interior in Cases Relating to Public Lands, volume 44 (edited by George J Hesselman), page 490: In the case of Hyacinthe Villeneuve a homestead entry had been allowed upon a tract of land that had been patented to the Santa Fe Railroad Company, whose grantees had expressed a willingness to reconvey in order that effect might be given to the equities of the homesteader, whereas in the present case the State stands in the position of a protestant.

(chiefly law) One who protests; a protester.


LLC

Limited Liability Company
limited liability company#English

(business, law, US) Initialism of Limited Liability Company.


proctor

Inherited from Middle English procatour, contraction of procuratour; compare proxy. Doublet of procurator.

(British, law) A legal practitioner in ecclesiastical and some other courts.


privacy

privacy (countable and uncountable, plural privacies)

(obsolete, law) A relationship between parties seen as being a result of their mutual interest or participation in a given transaction, contract etc.


individual

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Medieval Latin indīviduālis, from Latin indīviduum (“an indivisible thing”), neuter of indīviduus (“indivisible, undivided”), from in + dīviduus (“divisible”), from dīvidō (“divide”).

der

Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination […].

1982, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

(law) A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.


profit

en-noun

profit (countable and uncountable, plural profits)

From Middle English profit, from Old French profit (Modern French profit), from Latin prōfectus (“advance, progress, growth, increase, profit”), from proficiō (“to go forward, advance, make progress, be profitable or useful”). Doublet of profect.

der

profit à prendre
profit à prendre#English

(property law) Ellipsis of profit à prendre.


malfeasance

en-noun

malfeasance (countable and uncountable, plural malfeasances)

From Old French malfaisance, derived from malfaire, maufaire (“to do evil”), from Latin malefaciō (“I do evil”), from male (“evilly”) + faciō (“do, make”).

By then, Mr. Altman had gathered more allies. Mr. Nadella, now confident that Mr. Altman was not guilty of malfeasance, threw Microsoft’s weight behind him.

2023 December 9, Tripp Mickle, Cade Metz, Mike Isaac, Karen Weise, “Inside OpenAI’s Crisis Over the Future of Artificial Intelligence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(law) Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official and causing damage.


illicit

en-adj

illicit (comparative more illicit, superlative most illicit)

more illicit (comparative)
most illicit (superlative)

Borrowed from French illicite, from Latin illicitus, from in- (“not”) + licitus (“allowed, permitted”), from licet (“it is allowed”). By surface analysis, il- + licit.

The bigamous marriage, while illicit, was not invalid.

Such migrants may violate our laws against illicit entry, but if that's all they do then they are trespassers, not criminals.

2008 January 8, Madeleine Albright, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership, New York: HarperCollins, →ISBN, →OL, page 225:

(law) Not approved by law, but not invalid.


bolt

en-verb

bolt (third-person singular simple present bolts, present participle bolting, simple past and past participle bolted)

bolts (present singular third-person)
bolting (participle present)
bolted (participle past)
bolted (past)

From Middle English bulten, from Anglo-Norman buleter, Old French bulter (modern French bluter), from a Germanic source originally meaning "bag, pouch" cognate with Middle High German biuteln (“to sift”), from Proto-Germanic *buzdô (“beetle, grub, swelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰūs- (“to move quickly”). Cognate with Dutch buidel.

der

[…]the old habits of mooting or bolting caſes (i.e. of public disputations), might make the ſtudent more ſubtle and acute

1781, “The History and Antiquities of the Four Inns of Court”, in The Monthly Review:

(law) To discuss or argue privately, and for practice, as cases at law.


ordinary

/ˈɔɹdɪnɛ(ə)ɹi/

From Anglo-Norman ordenarie, ordenaire et al., Middle French ordinaire, and their source, Medieval Latin ordinarius, noun use of Latin ōrdinārius (“regular, orderly”), from ōrdō (“order”).

A person with authority; authority, ordinance.

(ecclesiastical, law) A person having immediate jurisdiction in a given case of ecclesiastical law, such as the bishop within a diocese.

(law) A judge with the authority to deal with cases himself or herself rather than by delegation.


ordinary

en-adj

ordinary (comparative more ordinary, superlative most ordinary)

more ordinary (comparative)
most ordinary (superlative)

extraordinary

antonym(s) of “having no special characteristics”

/ˈɔɹdɪnɛ(ə)ɹi/

(law, of a judge) Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases.


nexus

en-noun

nexus (countable and uncountable, plural nexuses or nexusses or (rare) nexus)

nexuses (plural)
nexusses (plural)
nexus (plural rare)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-nexus.wav

From Latin nexus (“connection, nexus; act of binding, tying or fastening together; something which binds, binding, bond, fastening, joint; legal obligation”), from nectō (“to attach, bind, connect, fasten, tie; to interweave; to relate; to unite; to bind by obligation, make liable, oblige; to compose, contrive, devise, produce”) + -tus (suffix forming verbal nouns).

der

(Canada, US, finance, law) The relationship between a vendor and a jurisdiction for the purpose of taxation, established for example by the vendor operating a physical store in that jurisdiction.

(Ancient Rome, law, historical) A person who had contracted a nexum or obligation of such a kind that, if they failed to pay, their creditor could compel them to work as a servant until the debt was paid; an indentured servant.


sole

From Middle English sole, soule, from Old French sol, soul (“alone”), from Latin sōlus (“alone, single, solitary, lonely”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (reflexive pronoun). Perhaps related to Old Latin sollus (“whole, complete”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“safe, healthy”). More at save.

ncog

(law) Unmarried (especially of a woman); widowed.


will

→ Bengali: উইল (uil)

From Middle English wille, from Old English willa (compare verb willian), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“desire, will”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”). Cognate with Dutch wil, German Wille, Swedish vilja, Norwegian vilje.

der

l-vocalizing: UK, General Australian, New Zealand

“Uncle Barnaby was always father and mother to me,” Benson broke in; then after a pause his mind flew off at a tangent. “Is old Hannah all right—in the will, I mean?”

1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 1, in Well Tackled!:

(law) A formal declaration of one's intent concerning the disposal of one's property and holdings after death; the legal document stating such wishes.