court-martial
UK[ˌkɔːt ˈmɑːʃl]US[ˌkɔːrt ˈmɑːrʃl]
n
A court consisting of commissioned officers for the trial of members of the armed forces.
v
To try by a court-martial.
Morpheme Breakdown
court
martial
court
noun
martial
adjective
Etymology
The term is a compound formed from two distinct words, 'court' and 'martial', which were combined in English. 'Court' evolved from the Latin concept of an enclosed yard or retinue, later specializing to mean a sovereign's assembly and, crucially, a judicial tribunal. 'Martial', derived from Mars, the god of war, came to signify anything pertaining to the military. The compound 'court-martial' thus logically denotes a military tribunal, a court that administers justice within the armed forces. It entered English legal-military usage in the late 16th century, solidifying the concept of a separate judicial system for military personnel.
Analysis
Structure: court (noun) + martial (adjective)
- court: From Old French 'cort', from Latin 'cohors, cohort-' (enclosure, retinue). In this compound, it denotes a judicial tribunal.
- martial: From Latin 'martialis' (of Mars, the Roman god of war), via Old French. In this compound, it means 'military'.
Examples
The soldier faced a court-martial for disobeying a direct order.
The general was court-martialed for his conduct during the conflict.
The verdict of the court-martial was subject to review by a higher authority.