indictment

Where does the word "indictment" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin indictare, passing through Anglo-French before entering English (1300s).

Indictment’s story begins in Medieval Latin: indictare meant “to proclaim, to accuse.” To proclaim, to accuse formally, from in- (toward) and dictare (to declare). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Anglo-French as enditer. Carried into legal French for formally accusing someone of a crime. It reached English by 1300s as indictment. Settled as the English word for a formal criminal charge. Today, indictment means a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.

1. Stage 1 · Medieval Latin · medieval indictare "to proclaim, to accuse", to proclaim, to accuse formally, from in- (toward) and dictare (to declare).
2. Stage 2 · Anglo-French · medieval enditer "to formally accuse someone", carried into legal French for formally accusing someone of a crime.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s indictment "a formal accusation of a serious crime", settled as the English word for a formal criminal charge.