Legist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈliːdʒɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who is knowledgeable in law, especially a lawyer or legal scholar
2. An expert specialized in legal matters and the interpretation or application of laws
3. Someone trained in the legal field who advises on or practices law

Etymology: The word arrived in English from Middle French "légiste", which in turn came from Medieval Latin "lēgista", a term for someone expert in law. Its root is the Latin "lex", meaning "law", the same stem that gives English "legal" and "legislate". Medieval Latin formed the agent noun by adding the suffix "-ista" to that root, producing a name for a person who works with the law. The English word is a fairly plain borrowing from French, and it stayed a learned, specialist term rather than entering everyday speech. Its meaning has stayed close to the original sense: a trained professional who knows the law and applies it to advice or practice. Its neighbour "legal" comes from the same Latin root, though through a different route, which is why the two words look related but developed separately in English.

Synonyms: lawyer, attorney, jurist, legal expert, legal scholar