personal-injury
Meaning
Physical or psychological harm to a person's body, mind, or emotions, typically caused by an accident, negligence, or intentional act.
A legal term for such harm, which may give rise to a claim for compensation.
Structure
Usage
The lawyer specializes in personal-injury cases involving car accidents.
She received a substantial settlement for the personal injury she suffered at work.
The new legislation aims to reduce the number of personal-injury claims.
Etymology
The compound term "personal injury" is a modern legal and descriptive phrase built from two distinct Latin-derived components. "Personal" originates from persona, which in ancient Rome referred to a theatrical mask and later evolved to mean an individual's legal character or the self. "Injury" comes from the Latin injuria, literally meaning "not right" or "against law," combining the negative prefix in- with jus (law, right). The fusion of these concepts in English law creates a precise term: an "injury" that is specifically "personal," meaning it pertains to harm inflicted upon the individual's physical or mental person, as opposed to damage to property or reputation. This evolution reflects the legal system's focus on protecting the individual's right to bodily and psychological integrity.
Analysis
- personal: From Latin personalis (of a person), from persona (mask, character, person). Function: Adjective-forming suffix -al attached to the noun person, indicating relation. - injury: From Latin injuria (injustice, wrong, injury), from in- (not) + jus (law, right). Function: A noun denoting an act or instance of harm or wrong.