Friday words: Affidavit, Elision, and Consuetude

[med_cat]

To make up for my missed posts, here are 3 (unrelated) words from this week's reading:

Affidavit, n. : a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer.

Example: The witness's affidavit was presented to the court as evidence.

Did you know?

In Latin, affidavit means "he (she) has sworn an oath", and an affidavit is always a sworn written document. If it contains a lie, the person making it may be prosecuted.

Affidavits are often used in court when it isn't possible for someone to appear in person. Police officers must usually file an affidavit with a judge to get a search warrant.

Affidavits (unlike similar signed statements called depositions) are usually made without an opposing lawyer being present and able to ask questions.

Elision, n.:


1a : the use of a speech form that lacks a final or initial sound which a variant speech form has (such as 's instead of is in there's)

1b : the omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable in a verse to achieve a uniform metrical pattern

2 : the act or an instance of omitting something : omission

Example:

While the nature of adaptation requires compression and elision, the film dutifully tells the story that fans of the book will turn out to see brought to life on the big screen.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022

Etymology: Late Latin elision-, elisio, from Latin elidere


Consuetude, n. : social usage, custom

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin consuetudo, from consuescere to accustom, from com- + suescere to accustom; akin to suus one's own