jury
Meaning
A group of people who have been chosen to listen to all the facts in a trial in a law court and to decide if a person is guilty or not guilty, or if a claim has been proved.
A group of people chosen to judge a competition.
Usage
The jury deliberated for ten hours before reaching a unanimous verdict.
She was selected to serve on the jury for a high-profile fraud case.
The jury of experts awarded first prize to the most innovative design.
Etymology
The word 'jury' entered English in the late 14th century from Anglo-French juree, meaning "oath, legal inquiry." This, in turn, came from Old French jurer, meaning "to swear," which is derived from Latin iurare, "to swear," from ius (genitive iuris), meaning "law, right." The core concept is one of a body of people sworn to give a verdict based on evidence presented to them. The semantic journey connects the ancient idea of a binding oath (iurare) to the modern, formalized legal institution responsible for delivering a judgment under oath.
Analysis
The word 'jury' is a simplex loanword from Anglo-French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.