subpoena
See also: subpœna
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
First attested with this spelling in 1623 C.E., from earlier subpena, from Middle English sub pena, from Medieval Latin: sub (“under”) and poena (“penalty”), the beginning of the original subpoena used in the Court of Chancery.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
subpoena (plural subpoenas or subpoenae or subpoenæ)
- (law, historical) A writ requiring a defendant to appear in court to answer a plaintiff's claim.
- 1874, W.S. Gilbert, Trial by Jury:
- Summoned by a stern subpoena Edwin sued by Angelina Shortly will appear.
- (law) A writ requiring someone to appear in court to give testimony.
Usage notes edit
The most common plural form is subpoenas.[1] Subpoenae is a hypercorrection as the word is not derived from a Latin noun *subpœna, *subpœnæ, but from the Latin phrase sub pœna, and therefore has no Latinate plural.[2]
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
writ requiring someone to appear in court to give testimony
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Verb edit
subpoena (third-person singular simple present subpoenas, present participle subpoenaing, simple past and past participle subpoenaed)
- (transitive) To summon with a subpoena.
- 1924, Herman Melville, chapter 10, in Billy Budd[3], London: Constable & Co.:
- Why not subpoena as well the clerical proficients?
Translations edit
to summon with a subpoena
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See also edit
References edit
- ^
- ^ 2013 May 14, Bryan Garner, “LawProse Lesson #118 | LawProse”, in LawProse[2], retrieved 2022-01-02:
- Why isn’t the plural *subpoenae duces tecum? Subpoena is a singular English noun — it was never a Latin noun. Rather, the English word subpoena derived from the Latin phrase sub poena, meaning “under penalty” or “under pain.” The Oxford English Dictionary dates subpoena from the late 15th century. And the plural subpoenas appears in English law as early as 1509 in the title of a statute “for Subpoenas and Privy Seals.” That’s the only plural until the early 19th century when *subpoenae first appeared — in a misquotation from Coke’s Institutes (Coke actually wrote sub poena). So the false Latin plural *subpoenae is a hypercorrection and, in fact, not a Latin word at all.
Anagrams edit
French edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
subpoena m (plural subpoenas)
- (Canadian and US law) subpoena