cross-examination

The term cross-examination is a legal compound formed within English. Its first element, 'cross,' derives from Latin 'crux,' which originally meant a stake or a structure for execution. By metaphorical extension, it came to signify something that traverses or opposes, which is the sense preserved in this compound. The second element, 'examination,' originates from Latin 'examinare,' meaning to weigh or test, itself from 'examen,' the tongue of a balance. The compound thus literally means "a testing from the opposite side," perfectly capturing the adversarial courtroom procedure where an attorney questions the witness presented by the opposing party to test the truth and consistency of their evidence.

Structure: cross (across) + examination (scrutiny) - cross: From Old English 'cros', from Old Norse 'kross', from Old Irish 'cros', from Latin 'crux, crucis'. In this compound, it functions as a prefix meaning "across," "opposite," or "in opposition." - examination: From Latin 'examinare' (to weigh, test, consider), from 'examen' (the tongue of a balance, test). In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning "the act of scrutinizing or testing."