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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.106.pr

Definition and Etymology of Dimissory Letters

Passage 8920 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Modestinus defines 'dimissory letters' (commonly known as 'apostoli') and explains their etymological origin from the verb meaning 'to send' (dimittere).

[IDEM libro singulari de praescriptionibus. ] §50.16.106.pr'Dimissoriae litterae' dicuntur, quae uolgo apostoli dicuntur.
[THE SAME, in his single volume On Prescriptions.] 'Dimissory letters' are those which are commonly called 'apostoli'.
dimissoriae autem dictae, quod causa ad eum qui appellatus est dimittitur.
They are called 'dimissoriae' because the case is sent to him who has been appealed to.

Notes

  1. §50.16.106.prdimissoriae autem dictae — An elliptical construction where the auxiliary verb sunt is omitted after dictae; the subject is dimissoriae litterae understood from the preceding sentence.
  2. §50.16.106.prqui appellatus est — The antecedent of the relative pronoun qui is eum, the object of the preposition ad. The verb appellare here means 'to appeal (to a higher court)', and its passive form refers to the higher judge or authority to whom the appeal has been made.
  3. §50.16.106.prdimissoriae ... dimittitur — The quod clause provides an etymological explanation, linking the adjective dimissorius (dimissory) to the passive verb dimittitur (is sent), derived from dimittere.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.106.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.106.pr

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