To prevent the likelihood of alteration in deeds and other contracts between two parties, a certain practice was introduced into the England of the late Middle Ages.
The contract was written out in duplicate upon a sheet of parchment or paper, with a blank strip between, and then the two documents were cut or torn apart in such manner as to leave a notched or wavy edge.
At any time thereafter the genuineness of either document could be proved by matching the cut edge with that of the other. One was said to indent the contract, from Latin in, in, and dens, tooth. The contract itself was, and still is, called an indenture, from that original means of identification.
It was this form of contract that existed between an apprentice or a servant and his master; the apprentice or servant “took up his indenture” when he had completed his service. Thus, many of the early settlers of the American colonies, lacking the money for their transportation, voluntarily became “indentured servants” in order to get to America.
Usually after seven years such a servant was table to “take up his indenture” from the master who had bought it from the ship owner. (Compare KIDNAP.)
Related Posts
-
What does the word “gauntlet” mean and Where does the word gauntlet come from?
During the Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, the English forces observed a form of disciplinary punishment used among their German allies. It looked highly effective, so it was not…
-
What does the word incubus (succubus) mean and Where does the word “incubus” come from?
In the Middle Ages any woman who gave birth to a witch or sorceress was supposed to have been visited, in her sleep, by a male demon or evil spirit. The name given…
-
Where does the word “Toilet” come from and What does the word Toilet mean in French?
The word "toilet" has had a rather curious development in the little more than four hundred years it has been in the language. Its origin was the French toilette, the diminutive of wile,…
-
What Does the Word Scapegoat Mean and Where Did the Word Scapegoat Come From?
A Scapegoat is a member of a group singled out for undeserved blame or negative treatment. The word "scapegoat" is a mistranslation of the word Azazel. An early Greek translation of the Old…
-
What Does the Word “Clock” Mean in French and Where Did the Word For a Large Timepiece Come From?
Like cloche in French, the word clock literally means bell. When the large mechanical clock was invented in the fourteenth century it didn't tell time with a face and hands, but rather by…
-
What Does the Word “Gimmick” Mean and Where Did the Word Gimmick Come From?
Gimmick or gimac, either way it's spelled, a gimmick is a gadget or idea that gives you an advantage. The second spelling is an anagram of magic. The word comes from the language…
