plaintiff

Where does the word "plaintiff" come from? It comes from Latin plangere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Plaintiff’s story begins in Latin: plangere meant “to lament, to complain.” The root of 'complain' and 'plaintive'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as plaintif. Carried into legal French for one bringing a complaint before a court. It reached English by 1300s as plaintiff. Settled as the English word for the party who initiates a lawsuit. Today, plaintiff means a person who brings a legal case against another in a court of law.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient plangere "to lament, to complain", the root of 'complain' and 'plaintive'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval plaintif "one who complains, especially in court", carried into legal French for one bringing a complaint before a court.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s plaintiff "the party who brings a case against another in court", settled as the English word for the party who initiates a lawsuit.