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you are here: > Glossary
> M
| MANDAMUS | ||
| From ancient pre-Vatican Latin mandamus="we command". A WRIT in COMMON LAW that compels a COURT or government officer to perform their obligations of office correctly as defined by DUE PROCESS. | ||
| MAJUSCULE | ||
| From 18th Century English as legal term meaning "a capital letter". More commonly known as UPPER CASE. From Latin magnus = "large, great, important" and vulgar Latin culus = "anus, arse". The meaning of the word literally translates as "great arse" indicating a general contempt by the authors of early LAW DICTIONARIES to those who do not recognise UPPER CASE legal fictions as having superiority over lower case names under ROMAN LAW. | ||
| MARITIME | ||
| From 13th Century Latin maritimeo/maritimus = "The mariner fleet of the Sea (Holy See) to be feared". From earlier Latin maris "sea" and timeo "to fear, be afraid, dread". From 16th Century English/French "Of the (Holy) Sea". | ||
| MENS REA | ||
| 16th Century Latin phrase meaning literally "(the) mind of the accused (defendant)". From Latin actus="doing, action, esp. on stage" and mens/mentis="mind, thought, intention". It originates from a Latin phrase created by Edward Coke (b.1552-d.1634) actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea commonly and incorrectly translated as meaning "an act does not make a person guilty unless (their) mind is also guilty"--reus never originally meaning guilt in Latin. Nonetheless, the maxim mens rea is most frequently misquoted as "Guilty mind " in conjunction with the equally misquoted Latin phrase ACTUS REUS. In strict legal terms, mens rea is defined as "The intention/knowledge/forethought of the defendant in relation to the crime for which they are accused" --in classical JURISPRUDENCE requiring CONCURRENCE with actus reus. Contrary to popular misinterpretation, the original purpose of mens rea was to ensure the legal enforceability of any penalty--not to protect those mentally incompetent--ensuring CONSENT is given with COMPOS MENTIS (sound mind) through DUE PROCESS before any SENTENCE is given. | ||
| MINUSCULE | ||
| From 18th Century English as legal term meaning "a lower-case letter or cursive writing ". More commonly known as LOWER CASE. From Latin minor = "smaller, less, slighter " and vulgar Latin culus = "anus, arse". The meaning of the word literally translates as "small arse" indicating a general contempt by the authors of early LAW DICTIONARIES to those who do not recognise UPPER CASE legal fictions as having superiority over lower case names under ROMAN LAW. | ||
| MONEY | ||
| From 13th Century Latin moneta meaning "the precious gift (coinage) of/to Cybele". Originally from pre 3rd Century CE Latin monera meaning "a warning, a reminder" also applied to the geese of the temple to Juno (another name for Cybele-Queen of Heaven) and to the goddess Juno herself. Some of the most valuable minted coins in Rome were in honor to Juno Moneta--who warned and "saved Rome from a Carthaginian attack". In the 19th Century, the original meaning of money being based on "precious metals" was depreciated with the meaning "A currency (including paper) maintained by a STATE which can guarantee its value". | ||
| MUST | ||
| May when describing a directive as distinct from an imperitive. | ||
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