Etymologically
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murdrum

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Forms

murdrum n (genitive murdrī); second declension[1] Other forms include mordrum, murthrum, murtrum and multrum, a feminine murdra and a masculine murdrus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Frankish *murþr (“murder”),[1][3][2] from Proto-Germanic *murþrą.[1] The DMLBS also points to Middle English murder and Old French murdre, which were current beside it.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first instance in the DMLBS is in a charter of about 1080, known from a copy of 1312: if a murder is found on the land of the church of St Martin of Battle, only the abbot and his monks are to deal with it.[2]

Semantic evolution

In English law it was murder in a strict sense: the Dialogue of the Exchequer, Glanvill, Bracton and Fleta define it as a secret killing that no one saw or knew of, whose killer is unknown.[2] It also named the fine laid on a manor or hundred where such a killing took place if the killer was not brought to justice, and charters granted freedom from it.[2][1] Niermeyer adds the jurisdiction over murders and the corpse of a murdered person.[3]

The Ancrene Riwle speaks of the murder of the soul.[2] English murder goes back to Old English morþor; its spelling with ⟨d⟩ probably reflects Anglo-French and Old French forms that come from this Latin word.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1080 – A charter for the church of St Martin of Battle mentions it.[2]
  • before 1085 – A charter grants land free of the murder fine.[2]
  • 1130 – The Pipe Roll records payments for two murder fines.[2]
  • 1239–1256 – Bracton defines it as a secret killing.[2][5]
  • c. 1290 – Fleta gives the same definition.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) murder;[2][3][1] (law) a secret killing whose killer is unknown.[2][3][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin, law) The fine paid by a hundred or manor for an unpunished murder.[2][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Jurisdiction over murder.[3]
  4. (Medieval Latin) The corpse of a murdered person.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de