recredo

Forms

recrēdō (present infinitive recrēdere, perfect active recrēdidī, supine recrēdūtum or recrēditum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin re- + crēdō (“to entrust, believe”),^[2][3][1] on the model of Old French recroire.^[1] The DMLBS compares Anglo-Norman recreire and the Old French verb.^[2] Niermeyer takes the reflexive use with sē to mean properly “to commend oneself, submit to the court's award”, and compares concrēdō (“to entrust”).^[4] Wiktionary gives Middle English recreyen (“to wear out, defeat”) as a cognate.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It belongs to early medieval law: Köbler's earliest dated source is the Lex Saxonum (about 800), beside charters, formulae and council acts.^[3][5] There it is used reflexively of a party who submits to the court and admits being in the wrong.^[4] Du Cange cites old formulae in which serfs who had denied their servitude se recrediderunt, admitted it in the end.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Niermeyer lists a whole range of legal uses: to confess guilt or own defeat, to acknowledge a tie of dependence, to admit that something is so or recognize it as genuine, to give security for the surrender of disputed property or the release of a prisoner, to return a pledge to the debtor against security, and to release a prisoner on bail.^[4]

In British sources it means to admit defeat in a judicial combat, to undertake to restore something, and to release on bail; its past participle, representing Old French recrëu, describes an exhausted horse.^[2] Du Cange also records it in a charter of 1023 in the sense “to go back”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 800 – The Lex Saxonum uses it.^[3]
• 1023 – A charter uses it for going back.^[6]
• 1170 – An English Pipe Roll uses it of admitting defeat in a judicial duel.^[2]
• 1290 – English accounts call horses worn out on the road recruti.^[2]
• 1313 – A Gascon roll uses it for release on bail.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin, law, reflexive) To submit to the court's award; to confess oneself guilty, own defeat.^[4][2]
2. (Medieval Latin, reflexive) To acknowledge oneself bound by a tie of dependence.^[4][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) To admit, acknowledge (that something is so); to recognize as genuine.^[4][3]
4. (Medieval Latin, law) To give security for the surrender of disputed property or for a prisoner's release; to release (a prisoner) on bail.^[4][2]
5. (Medieval Latin) To return a pledge to the debtor against security.^[4]
6. (Medieval Latin) To undertake to restore.^[2]
7. (Medieval Latin, past participle) Worn out, exhausted (of a horse).^[2]
8. (Medieval Latin) To go back.^[6]

Related words

• crēdō
• concrēdō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Liber exquisiti xenii: Lexikon frühmittelalterlicher Rechtswörter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre