Where does “plaintiff” come from?
Plaintiff comes from Middle English plaintif, from Old French plaintif (one who complains), derived from Old French plaindre (to complain), from Latin plangere (to strike, lament), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European plak- (to strike).
plaintiff (English): A party bringing a suit in civil law against a...
Definitions
- A party bringing a suit in civil law against a...
Ancestry of “plaintiff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | plaintif | — |
| 2 | Old French | plaintif | complaining; as a noun, one who complains, a... |
| 3 | Old French | plaindre | to cry; to weep |
| 4 | Latin | plangere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 5 | Latin | plangō | to strike, beat, flap |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₂k- | to beat, strike; to strike, fast; to beat, hit,... |