soke
Definition
- Noun (historical, legal):
- Jurisdiction: "soke" refers to a right of local jurisdiction, especially in Anglo-Saxon and medieval English law. It denotes the authority to hold a court and administer justice within a particular territory.
- Territory under jurisdiction: "soke" can also mean the district or area subject to such a special jurisdiction.
Usage Examples
- (He asserted the right to hold court and enforce laws there.)
- (The jurisdictional district of Peterborough covered a large area.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be within the soke of": to fall under the legal authority of a particular lord or court.
- All disputes among tenants were to be settled within the soke of the abbey. (All disagreements were resolved under the abbey's jurisdiction.)
Variants and Related Words
Sokeman (n): a tenant who owed suit to a particular soke court.
- The sokeman had to attend the lord's court when summoned. (The tenant was obligated to appear at the jurisdictional court.)
Sokage (n): the tenure of land held by a sokeman.
- Land held in sokage required certain services to the lord. (The land tenure involved specific obligations.)
Synonyms
- Jurisdiction: the official power to make legal decisions and judgments.
- Circuit: a district or area over which a court has authority.
Related Idioms