tribunal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tɹaɪˈbjuːnəl/, /tɹɪˈbjuːnəl/ (UK); /tɹaɪˈbjunəl/, /tɹəˈbjunəl/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French tribunal (“judgement seat”) and directly Latin tribūnal (“platform for magistrates' seats”),^[2][3][4] from tribūnus (“Roman official, magistrate”), literally the head of a tribe (see tribune),^[2][3] from tribus (“tribe”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A judgement seat: 1447 (trybunal) in Barnhart, the early 15th century in Etymonline.^[2][3] The OED's first quotation, for the raised platform of a Roman basilica, is from 1526.^[5]

Semantic evolution

A court of justice is from 1590 (the 1580s),^[5][3] and figuratively a place of judgement from 1635.^[5] Local boards empowered to settle disputes are from 1916,^[5] and the New Oxford dates the modern sense of a body appointed to judge a particular matter to the early 20th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 1447 – trybunal, a judgement seat.^[2]
• 1526 – a Roman tribunal.^[5]
• 1590 – a court of justice.^[5]
• 1916 – a board settling disputes.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A court of justice.
2. A board appointed to judge a particular matter, such as a dispute.
3. A raised platform for a judge's seat, originally in a Roman basilica.

Related words

• tribune
• tribe
• tribute

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press