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The Peel Web |
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| a priori | reasoning from causes to effects; deductive; logically independent of experience; not derived from experience; assumed without investigation. From the Latin, "from what is before"; hence, "as far as one knows". |
| Ad hoc | Designed for that purpose; specially. |
| ad valorem | "in proportion to value". An import duty fixed ad valorem is one established on the basis of the commercial value of the imported item. |
| adscripti glebae | being tied to the soil; a serf |
| agent provocateur | person employed to detect suspected offenders by tempting them into open action. |
| benefice | a Church office, typically that of a rector or vicar, for which property and income are provided in respect of pastoral duties. |
| bona fide | in good faith; honestly; sincerely; without deception |
| de facto | in fact; in reality; often also, in all but name |
| draconian | [of laws] - excessively harsh and severe. The word origin is from Draco, the name of an ancient Athenian legislator |
| et seq. (sequitur) | literally, "and the following"; |
| ex officio | by virtue of one's office |
| Fait accompli | Literally, "an accomplished fact". |
| Habeas Corpus | literally, "you may have the body". A Habeas Corpus is a legal writ that protects an individual against arbitrary imprisonment by requiring that any person arrested be brought before a court for formal charge. If the charge is considered to be valid, the person must submit to trial; if not, the person goes free. When the law is suspended, then individuals can be imprisoned indefinitely and without charge. |
| Incumbent | (in Church language), the holder of an official position or post, usually a parish. |
| Laissez faire | Literally, "leave things alone". This phrase is used to describe a variety of government policies but at this time was used to mean that the government should not interfere in the economy of the country. |
| Latitudinarian | broad-based: a term applied to the Church of England's attempt to frame a set of beliefs that would allow a wide range of denominations to subscribe to the Anglican faith |
| Libel | published statement damaging to a person's reputation; accuse falsely and maliciously. |
| Literae humaniores | The name of the final Honours School in classical studies and philosophy at Oxford University. The literal translation is "the more humane studies". |
| living | in church usage, a position as a vicar or rector with an income or property. |
| mandamus | "I command". This term was used in the American colonies
when the king made appointments without the consent of the people.
I am grateful to Chris Mason, who mailed me with the following information. Literally, 'mandamus' means "we command" but the word is used
legally for a "Crown writ" and the monarch uses the "Royal
'we' ". Logically it translates as "I command". |
| quinquennial | Every five years |
| nolentes aut volentes | whether willing or not (willy-nilly) |
| oligarchy | a state or country ruled by a very few people |
| parish | in the Christian Church a small administrative district with its own church and clergy. |
| per capita | literally "by the head"; for each person; individually |
| per saltum | effectively "in one fell swoop"; all at once. |
| Per se | By, or in, itself; intrinsically; as such. |
| philanthropist | A "lover of mankind"; one who exerts himself for the well-being of his fellow man. |
| pluralism | the practice of holding more than one office or Church benefice at a time. |
| Pocket borough | Like a rotten borough, one person or family often owned this type of constituency and the MP was nominated by the owner. |
| Prelate | A Bishop, Archbishop or other high eccelsiastical dignitary |
| Prima facie | (arising) at first sight, based on the first impression |
| primogeniture | The law of the first-born. Under this law, the eldest son inherits everything on the death of his father. |
| quid pro quo | something for something - nothing in life is free. |
| Rotten borough | Rotten boroughs had few, if any voters and the constituency was owned by one person or family. Elections rarely took place, with the owner choosing the MP. |
| sedition | conduct or language directed unlawfully against State authority; public commotion or riot, not amounting to insurrection or rebellion and therefore not treason. |
| See | the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop. |
| sic | "thus" - roughly translated "I know that the spelling is wrong, but that was how it appeared in the source". |
| sinecure | any job or post that carries a salary but has either very little, or no work attached to it. |
| Sine qua non | Indispensable condition or qualification; a pre-condition |
| Status quo | The previous situation of affairs; an unchanged position. |
| Status quo ante bellum | the situation as it was before the war (usually meaning the French Wars, in this web site) |
| transportation | once a person had been sentenced to transportation, s/he was never allowed to return to Britain even at the end of the sentence. The sentence given (7, 14 years or life) was for that number of years "hard labour". Once the sentence had been served, the convict would be given a plot of land and enough supplies on which to survive until the farm was productive. Effectively, transportation was for the rest of the convict's life. If a convict did return to Britain and was caught, the penalty was death. |
| treason | violation by subject of his allegiance to sovereign e.g. compassing or intending sovereign's death, levying war against him or adhering to his enemies. |
| Verbatim et liberatim | word-for-word and freely (extensively) |
| via media | literally "the middle way", usually applied to the Church of England [Anglican Church] which sought to be so broad-based (latitudinarian) that it encompassed almost all Christian beliefs other than those of the Catholic Church and the extreme Protestants such as Anabaptists and Unitarians |
| videlicit | namely; "it is permitted to see"; "to wit". Commonly abbreviated to viz. |
| viz | namely; like this. |
| Meet the web creator | These materials may be freely used for
non-commercial purposes in accordance with applicable statutory allowances
and distribution to students. |
Last modified
4 March, 2016
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