Jus
/ʒuː/ (culinary); /dʒʌs/ (legal)noun
Jus is either a thin meat gravy or, in legal contexts, a right, law, or legal authority.
Did you know?The legal sense comes from Latin iūs, the same ancient word that helped produce just, justice, jury, and judge—so “jus” literally sits at the root of lawful power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yewes
“Law, binding rule, or a sacred legal order”
Ancient Latin
Latin
iūs
“Law, right, justice, or legal authority”
Classical Latin
Latin
ius
“Right or law; separately, jus could mean broth, sauce, or liquid substance”
Old French
Old French
jus
“Juice, gravy, or cooking liquid”
14th Century
English
jus
“A culinary gravy or sauce adopted from French”
Modern English
English
jus
“Meat gravy; also a learned legal term meaning a right, law, or legal system”