The Words of the Week - May 5

‘Civil’

Civil was among our top lookups, because a civil trial involving Donald Trump was underway in New York City.

 Donald Trump denied raping writer E. Jean Carroll in a deposition video played on Wednesday for a Manhattan federal jury, as the former U.S. president sought to defend himself in a civil trial without testifying in person.
— Jack Queen, Reuters, 3 May 2023

Civil is often found in general use with the meaning “adequate in courtesy and politeness.” However, when used in a legal setting, it means “relating to private rights and to judicial proceedings in connection with them,” especially when relating to legal matters other than those characterized as criminal.

Civil and criminal trials differ in a number of ways. Criminal trials must be initiated by a governmental prosecution (such as state or federal prosecutors), require a strict standard of proof for guilt (typically ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’), and may result in a punishment of imprisonment. Civil trials, however, may be initiated by private citizens (your neighbor, for instance, may sue you in civil court, but may not prosecute you in criminal court), require a lower standard of proof, and cannot result in the defendant being imprisoned as a result of the trial.

‘Picket line’

Picket line was also looked up a good deal, as a result of a strike by television writers.

As Writers Strike, AI Could Covertly Cross the Picket Line
— (headline) The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2023

The modern sense of picket line is “a line or group of people who are refusing to go to work until their employer agrees to certain demands.” Some of you may be wondering ‘what is a picket, and why must it be in a line?’ Before it was applied to striking workers, picket had referred to a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or peg, such as might be used to set up a military camp or tent. The word was also formerly used with such military meanings as “a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise” (known as an outlying picket) or “a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty” (known as an inlying picket). The “sharpened stick” sense of picket dates back to the first half of the 19th century, and the “striking worker” sense began to be used at the end of that century.

This morning when the Woerueses’ delivery wagon drove up to the strikers’ picket line the driver was called upon to halt.
— The St. Louis (Missouri) Globe-Democrat, 1 Jan. 1887

‘Sedition’

Sedition trended in lookups after four members of a right-wing group were convicted of this in relation to the January 6th insurrection.

Four Proud Boys Convicted of Sedition in Key Jan. 6 Case
— (headline) The New York Times, 4 May 2023

We define sedition as “the crime of creating a revolt, disturbance, or violence against lawful civil authority with the intent to cause its overthrow or destruction”; a person who incites or promotes sedition is a seditionist or a seditionary. We define treason, for those who like to distinguish between these two things, as “the act of levying war against the United States or adhering to or giving aid and comfort to its enemies by one who owes it allegiance.”

‘Cinco de Mayo’

Cinco de Mayo trended as well these past few days, as the end of the work week coincides with this Mexican (and Mexican American) holiday.

Cinco de Mayo has long been misunderstood by many Americans, partly because it's easy to say and American classrooms often include little celebrating the history of people of color.
— USA Today, 4 May 2023

We define Cinco de Mayo as “a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration held on May 5 in commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862.” It is not a celebration of Mexican independence; Mexican Independence Day (which celebrates the country’s independence from Spain) occurs each year on September 16th, and existed as a holiday for some 50 years before the Mexicans defeated the French at Puebla.

Words Worth Knowing: ‘Peccability’

Our word worth knowing this week is peccability, defined as “capability of sinning.” We understand that this meaning is somewhat influenced by what each person considers to be sinful, as well as their individual capacity and appetite in this regard.

The intellectual clarity, the transparent honesty and firmness of purpose, compel admiration: but there is something superhuman in the icy and undeviating resolution to excel; there is something in the remote detachment from human folly and peccability which is not wholly congenial to mean sensual man.
— Maurice Wiggin, The Sunday Times (London), 8 Dec. 1968