Latin for Lawyers

L ATIN FOR L AWYERS

DE MORTE HOMINIS [L. de / from, coming from + mors, mortis / death + homo, hominis / man, a human being] Of the death of a man. DEMUR, DEMURRER [L. de + moror, morari / to linger, delay] To object; take exception to; reject. The pleading which was interposed by a defendant to object to the complaint as a matter of law. A statement by the defendant that even if the facts pleaded are taken as true, the plaintiff is not entitled to any relief. Although the term is now used in only a number of states, the same effect is achieved by a motion addressed to the sufficiency of the complaint as failing to state a claim on which relief can be granted. See Fed. R. Civ P. 12(b). DE NOVO [L. de + novus / new, young, fresh] Renewed, revived. Once again; a second time. Trial de novo , a new trial; hearing de novo , a second hearing. DENY, DENIAL [L. de + nego, negare / to say no to, to deny the existence of, to refuse] To declare or state that something is not true; to refuse to acknowledge the truth of. To refuse a request or petition, as to deny a motion. A denial in a legal proceeding is a statement by one party that an allegation or pleading by the other side is false. A general denial is a denial of all the allegations in a complaint or in a particular cause of action. A specific denial is a denial of specified allegations of the complaint. DE ODIO ET ATIA [L. de / from + odium / hatred + et / and + malitia / evil, cunning, malice] Of hatred and malice. DE PACE INFRACTA [L. de / from + pax, pacis / peace + infringere / to weaken, break] Of breaking or disturbing the peace. DEPENDENT [L. de + pendere / to hang, suspend] Requiring aid or support. Depending on another for help or assistance. Lack ing the means for self-sufficiency. In federal tax law, a dependent is any per sons in a degree of relationship to the taxpayer which entitles the taxpaper to take a deduction from his gross income for the support of that person. A dependent contract is one which is conditioned upon performance of another contract.

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