Codicil
/ˈkoʊdɪsɪl/noun
A short addition or amendment to a will or other legal document.
Did you know?Codicil comes from Latin codicillus, a diminutive of codex, originally a wooden tablet or notebook, so the word’s root is the same one behind the idea of a written code.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
codicillus
“a small writing tablet; later, a short supplement or note”
Classical Latin
Latin
codex
“a book made of wooden tablets; later, a book or written code”
Late Latin
Latin
codicillus testamentarius
“a written addition to a testament”
Old French
Old French
codicille
“a supplement to a will”
15th Century
English
codicill
“a legal addition to a will”
Modern English
English
codicil
“an amendment or supplement to a will”
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