inquesta

Forms

inquesta f (genitive inquestae); first declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French enqueste (“inquiry”).^[2] Etymonline traces the Old French noun through Vulgar Latin *inquaestia to inquīsīta (“a thing inquired into”), the feminine past participle of inquīrō (“to seek, inquire into”), and gives Italian inchiesta the same source.^[3] Du Cange glosses it with inquīsītiō and French enquête.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first record is from before 1275, in British sources.^[5] The DMLBS's earliest quotation, of 1279 in the Gascon rolls, pairs it with the classical word: inquīsīciōnem seu inquestam, “an inquisition or inquest”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It was a judicial inquiry, especially one held before sworn men of the neighbourhood.^[1][2] Du Cange says it occurs everywhere, and quotes an inquest held by authority of King Philip into the rights of the abbey of Bec, which mentions other inquests of 12 or 24 men; he suggests they were named after the number of witnesses heard.^[4] In the Channel Islands a Jersey document of 1328 speaks of the jurors of an inquest, and a Guernsey writ of about 1331 orders an inquiry by an inquest of twelve good men of the parish.^[2] English inquest came from the same Old French word in the late 13th century.^[3]

Timeline

• before 1275 – Köbler's first record in British sources.^[5]
• 1279 – The Gascon rolls use it beside inquīsītiō.^[2]
• late 13th century – English inquest is recorded, from Old French.^[3]
• 1328 – A Jersey document speaks of the jurors of an inquest.^[2]
• c. 1331 – A Guernsey writ orders an inquest of twelve men of the parish.^[2]
• 1415 – A Melrose charter records a finding made by inquest in the abbot's court.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, law) A judicial inquiry, inquest.^[1][2][4][5]

Related words

• inquīsītiō
• English inquest

References

1. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de