Etymology
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juror (n.)

"one who serves on a jury," c. 1300 (late 12c. in Anglo-Latin), from Anglo-French jurour (late 13c.), Old French jureor "character witness, person who swears an oath," from Latin iuratorem (nominative iurator) "swearer, sworn census-clerk," agent noun from iurare "to swear," from ius (genitive iuris) "law" (see jurist). Meaning "one of a group selected to award prizes, etc. at a public exhibition" is from 1851; this particular use seems to have arisen with the great Industrial Exhibition held that year at the Crystal Palace in London.

Entries linking to juror

jurist (n.)

mid-15c., "one who practices law;" 1620s, "a legal writer, one who professes the science of the law," from Old French juriste (14c.), from Medieval Latin iurista "jurist," from Latin ius (genitive iuris) "a right," especially "legal right or authority, law," also "place where justice is administered, court of justice," from Old Latin ious, perhaps literally "sacred formula," a word peculiar to Latin (not general Italic) that originated in the religious cults, from PIE root *yewes- "law" (compare Latin iurare "to pronounce a ritual formula," Vedic yos "health," Avestan yaoz-da- "make ritually pure," Irish huisse "just"). Related: Juristic. The more mundane Latin law-word lex meant specific laws as opposed to the body of laws.

The Germanic root represented by Old English æ "custom, law," Old High German ewa, German Ehe "marriage," sometimes is associated with this group, or it is traced to PIE *ei- "to go."

updated on February 23, 2016

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Dictionary entries near juror

juried

jurisconsult

jurisdiction

jurisprudence

jurist

juror

jury

jus

jussive

just

justice

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