Adminicles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Supporting materials or evidence that bolster an argument or claim
2. Additional documents or proofs that serve to reinforce a primary assertion or statement
3. Supplemental items that provide added credibility or verification to a central point or theory

Etymology: "Adminicles" is the plural of "adminicle," a word that came into English from Latin "adminiculum," meaning "support pole" or "prop." The Latin noun is built from "ad," meaning "to," and "manus," meaning "hand," with the diminutive or instrumental suffix "-culum" attached. The literal sense was something held up or propped against, the sort of physical support that keeps a structure from falling. In legal use, that sense of support shifted into the idea of corroboration. A piece of evidence that does not prove a claim on its own can still prop it up, and so a related document or proof that backs a main instrument came to be called an adminicle. The plural form is the one most often seen, usually in discussions of how a written record can be strengthened by other supporting papers.