Jurat

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒʊəɹæt/

Definitions

1. An official empowered to administer oaths and authenticate legal documents through certification
2. A judicial officer authorized to verify sworn statements and endorse affidavits with details of attestation
3. A person legally authorized to administer sworn oaths and confirm the validity of documents through official certification

Etymology: A jurat is a sworn officer, and the word's original sense is simply "one who has taken an oath." It comes from Medieval Latin "iūrātus," meaning "sworn man," built on the Latin verb "iūrō," "to swear an oath." The same Latin root gives English "jury" and "jurisdiction," so the word belongs to a family of terms all tied to the solemn act of swearing. The title was a medieval office rather than a Latin legal term carried over unchanged. It passed into French as "jurat" and from there, by way of the Occitan "juré," the same sworn-officer sense spread through the medieval legal and civic world of southern France. Early holders were members of town councils and similar bodies who had sworn to uphold their duties, and the name recorded that oath in the office itself.