Compurgator vs Compurgation - What's the difference?
compurgator | compurgation | Related terms |
A character witness in canon law who swore an oath that the accused was innocent.
* 1971 , , Religion and the Decline of Magic , Folio Society 2012, p. 244:
(historical, legal) An ‘oath-helper’ in Anglo-Saxon or Germanic law who testified to the character of an accused person.
More generally, someone who vouches for another person's innocence, trustworthiness etc.
Acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.
* 2012 , Faramerz Dabhoiwala, The Origins of Sex , Penguin 2013, p. 23:
Compurgator is a related term of compurgation.
As nouns the difference between compurgator and compurgation
is that compurgator is a character witness in canon law who swore an oath that the accused was innocent while compurgation is acquitting someone from a formal charge or accusation following the sworn oaths of a number of other people; vindication.compurgator
English
Noun
(en noun)- If a wise woman fell under suspicion from the authorities her neighbours might rally to her defence, providing compurgators in court, or drawing up certificates testifying to her innocence.
compurgation
English
(wikipedia compurgation)Noun
(en noun)- Between the later middle ages and the early seventeenth century, compurgation appears to have become an increasingly onerous test to pass, perhaps reflecting tightening attitudes to sexual offenders.
