juror
Meaning
A member of a jury in a court of law.
Structure
Usage
The juror listened intently to the witness's testimony.
Potential jurors were questioned by the attorneys during the selection process.
After lengthy deliberations, the juror agreed with the unanimous verdict.
Etymology
The word 'juror' has a direct lineage from the Latin iūrātor, meaning 'one who swears an oath.' It is built upon the root iūr-, from iūs (law, right), combined with the agent suffix -or. This construction entered English via Anglo-French in the late 13th century, a period when the jury system was being formalized in England. The term's logic is perfectly transparent: a juror is literally 'a person of the law,' one who is sworn under oath to uphold legal principles and deliver a verdict based on evidence. This etymological path from the abstract concept of 'law' to the specific role of a sworn participant in a trial illustrates the foundational legal principles embedded in the common law tradition.
Analysis
- jur: From Latin iūs (law, right). Functional role: root, indicating a concept related to law or justice. - or: From Latin -or, a suffix forming agent nouns. Functional role: suffix, denoting a person who performs a specific action or role.