vadimonium

Forms

vadimōnium n (genitive vadimōniī or vadimōnī); second declension^[1] In Medieval Latin it is also spelled wadimonium and badimonium.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from vas (“surety, bail”) with the suffix -mōnium.^[3][4][1] De Vaan derives ⟨vas⟩ from Proto-Italic *woss and Proto-Indo-European *uodʰ-s (“one who leads the defendant to court”), cognate with Lithuanian vãdas (“guarantee, surety”) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌹 (wadi, “pledge”).^[5] Wiktionary suggests a link with an Oscan ⟨vaamunim⟩.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato asks “what if you had appeared for your bail with your head covered?” in a speech;^[3] Köbler gives Cicero.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It is a guarantee secured by bail that a defendant will appear before the magistrate on a set day, as Cicero's country people who come to Rome for a vadimōnium.^[3][4][1] Many legal phrases use it: vadimōnium facere to give such an undertaking, sistere to appear as promised, dēserere to fail to appear, differre to postpone the day, and rēs est in vadimōnium, the stage after it is given, all in Cicero's Pro Quinctio.^[3][4] Figuratively it is an appointment kept, as Manilius' dawn that brings back the day's appointed labours.^[3][1]

Church Latin glosses it “promise secured by bail”.^[7] In Medieval Latin it is the rod given as a token when one promises to prove one's case, a statement under warranty, a pledge or security, a pledge taken by distraint, and a payment for a marriage licence.^[2]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato of appearing for bail.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of the legal phrases.^[3][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A promise secured by bail to appear in court; recognizance;^[3][4][1][7] vadimōnium sistere, to appear;^[3][4] dēserere, to default.^[3][4]
2. An appointment, engagement.^[3][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) A pledge, security; a token rod of warranty.^[2]

Related words

• vas
• praes
• sponsiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson