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Latin Terminology: Word Pronunciation Original Meaning Modern Meaning

Latin legal terms are commonly used in English legal language. The document provides examples of common Latin words used in legal contexts like "alibi" meaning elsewhere and "alias" meaning an alternative name. It also includes tables listing Latin words used in courts today with their original Latin meanings and modern legal meanings. Some examples are "habeas corpus" meaning to have the body and "versus" meaning against. The document discusses less common Latin phrases seen in court like "in flagrante delicto" meaning caught in the act and "mutatis mutandis" meaning having made necessary changes.

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171 views

Latin Terminology: Word Pronunciation Original Meaning Modern Meaning

Latin legal terms are commonly used in English legal language. The document provides examples of common Latin words used in legal contexts like "alibi" meaning elsewhere and "alias" meaning an alternative name. It also includes tables listing Latin words used in courts today with their original Latin meanings and modern legal meanings. Some examples are "habeas corpus" meaning to have the body and "versus" meaning against. The document discusses less common Latin phrases seen in court like "in flagrante delicto" meaning caught in the act and "mutatis mutandis" meaning having made necessary changes.

Uploaded by

Jagruti Nirav
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Latin Terminology

English legal terms are full of Latin words and phrases. Several of these terms are so common,
you use them today without any problem or confusion. Take these words for example:
alibi ah!lee!bee" elsewhere, at another place#. $f you%re asked to provide an alibi for your
whereabouts, you know that you need to tell where you were when a crime occurred to prove
that you couldn%t have been the one who did the awful deed.
alias ah!lee!ahs" at another time, otherwise#. Today, alias often refers to an alternative name
people generally use to conceal their identity. &'ohn Smith alias (enry Taylor alias )lyde the
(ustler& means 'ohn Smith is otherwise known as (enry Taylor who is otherwise known as
)lyde the (ustler.
per se purr say" by itself#. *lso meaning &as such& in English usage, per se is used casually in
English conversations: $ didn%t call him stupid, per se. $ simply said he had plenty to learn.
versus wer!soos" turned#. +ften abbreviated as vs., the more common English meaning is
&against& or &in contrast to&: $n the case Roe versus Wade, privacy in cases of abortion was an
issue.
Table 1: Common Latin Words Used Today
Word Pronunciation Original
Meaning
Modern
Meaning
affidavit uhf!fee!day!wit he pledged a sworn,
written
statement
bona fide boh!nuh fee!day in# good
faith
sincere,
genuine
habeas
corpus
ha!bay!us kor!
pus
may you
have the
body
bring a person
before a court
per diem pur dee!em per day, by
the day
daily
pro bono pro bo!no for the
good
done for free
for the public
good
status
,uo
stuh!toos kwo the existing
condition or
state of
affairs
how things are
currently
sub soob poi!na under the an order
*cademic Legal -riting./01/
poena penalty commanding a
person to
appear in court
under a
penalty for not
appearing
The following sections offer more Latin words used in courts today. Like the preceding words, you
may have heard many of these words already" you may even be using them without knowing
what they really mean. 2on%t worry. 3any of those using them don%t know either.
Common courtroom Latin
3any of the terms that lawyers and other legal folk use have come down to us in their original
Latin forms. Table / lists some of the more common Latin words that are still used today. The
following list has even more examples:
ex officio: This word would appear in a Latin sentence such as the following:
Imperator erat ex officio quoque dux exercitus.
eem!pe!ra!tawr e!rut eks off!ee!kee!oh kwo!kwe dooks eks!er!key!toos.
The emperor was by virtue of his position also the leader of the army.
Today, you see or hear this word in a sentence like this:
The headmaster of the school is ex officio also a member of the school board.
persona non grata: This word would appear in a Latin sentence such as the following:
ost caedem Caesaris! "rutus erat #abitus persona non grata $omae.
post ki!dem ki!sa!ris, broo!tus e!rut ha!bee!tus per!sow!na non gra!ta rom!igh.
*fter the assassination of )aesar, 4rutus was regarded a persona non grata in 5ome.
Today, you see or hear this word in a sentence like this:
*fter his conviction for embe66ling funds, 'ohn was treated like a persona non grata by his
former colleagues.
Table %: Latin Words Used in &nglis# Courts
Word Pronunciation Original
Meaning
Modern
Meaning
ad hoc ad hok to this for a specific
purpose, case, or
situation
corpus
delicti
kor!pus de!lick!
tee
body of
the crime
material evidence
in a crime
de
facto
day fak!toe from the
fact
in reality"
actually" in effect
de iure day you!ray from the
law
according to law"
by right
*cademic Legal -riting./01/
ad
infinitu
m
ad in!fee!nee!
toom
forever forever
in
absenti
a
in ab!sen!tee!ah in
his.her#
absence
in his.her#
absence
in
camera
in ka!me!rah in a room in private" no
spectators
allowed
in loco
parenti
s
in lo!ko pa!ren!
tis
in the
place of a
parent
in the place of a
parent
ipso
facto
eep!so fak!toe by the
fact itself
by that very fact
locus
delicti
low!koos day!
lick!tee
scene of
the crime
scene where a
crime took place
modus
operan
di
moh!dus o!per!
un!dee
mode of
working
method of
operating
nolo
conten
dere
no!lo kon!ten!
de!re
$ do not
wish to
contend
a plea by the
defendant that%s
e,uivalent to an
admission of guilt
and leaves him
sub7ect to
punishment# but
allows him the
legal option to
deny the charges
later
prima
facie
pree!mah fah!
key!ay
at first
face
at first sight
pro
forma
pro for!ma for the
sake of
form
done as formality,
done for the
show
,uid
pro ,uo
kwid pro kwo this for
that
something for
something" tit for
tat" an e,ual
exchange
*cademic Legal -riting./01/
Less common Latin p#rases
-e often refer to the language that lawyers use as legalese because it has so many Latin
phrases and words. Table 8 lists a few of the less common Latin phrases that you%re likely to hear
only if you 9 or someone you know 9 actually ends up in a court of law.
Table ': (t#er Latin Legal Terms
Word Pronunciation Original
Meaning
Modern
Meaning
a mensa
et toro
ah men!sa eht
to!row
from table
and bed
legal
separation
casus belli ka!soos bel!lee occasion of
war
an event that
7ustifies a
war
cui bono coo!ee bo!no for whom
the good
whom does it
benefit:
in#
flagrante
delicto
in fla!gran!tay
day!lick!toe
while the
crime is
burning
red!handed,
in the act
inter alia in!ter ah!lee!ah among
other things
among other
things
mutatis
mutandis
moo!tah!tees
moo!tun!dees
having
changed
what must
be changed
after making
the
necessary
changes
non
compos
mentis
non kom!pos
men!tis
not of
sound mind
mentally
incompetent
obiter
dictum
oh!bee!ter deek!
toom
something
said in
passing
something a
7udge says in
arguing a
point, but has
no bearing
on the final
decision
onus
probandi
oh!nis pro!bun!
dee
burden of
proving
burden of
proof
*cademic Legal -riting./01/
pendente
lite
pen!den!tay lee!
tay
while
7udgment is
pending
a case in
progress
res ipsa
lo,uitur
rays eep!sa lo!
kwee!tur
the matter
itself
speaks
it goes
without
saying
sine ,ua
non
see!nay kwa
non
without
which not
an
indispensabl
e condition" a
prere,uisite
sine die see!nay dee!ay without a
day
postponed
indefinitely
sub 7udice sub you!dee!kay under the
7udge
pending
7udgment
ultra vires ool!trah wee!
rays
beyond
strength
outside one%s
7urisdiction
*cademic Legal -riting./01/

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