Court
/kɔːrt/noun
A place where legal cases are heard, or the sovereign's household and retinue; also, a yard or enclosed space.
Did you know?The legal sense of “court” and the royal sense both trace back to the same idea of an enclosed place, from Latin *cohors*—a fenced yard that later became a ruler’s “company” and then a place of authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gher-
“to enclose, grasp, or hold together”
Latin
Latin
cohors
“an enclosed yard, courtyard; a retinue or company”
Late Latin
Latin
corte
“a court, yard, or enclosed space”
Old French
Old French
court
“a court, yard; the household of a king or noble”
Middle English
English
court
“a royal household, enclosed yard, or tribunal”
Modern English
English
court
“a tribunal, royal residence, or enclosed area”
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