Syngraph

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A written agreement or contract between two parties that details the terms and conditions of their arrangement
2. A legal document that binds individuals or entities together in a mutual commitment or obligation
3. An official record that outlines the specific obligations of signatories within a formal agreement

Etymology: "Syngraph" comes from Latin "syngrapha," which was itself borrowed from Greek "syngraphē," meaning a written contract or bond. The Greek word combined "syn-" ("together") with "graphein" ("to write"), so its original sense was something like "written together," a document drawn up jointly by the parties it bound. The most characteristic feature of these documents was their form. Two copies of the same agreement were written on a single sheet, then the sheet was cut apart along a wavy or jagged line. Each party kept one half, and the two pieces could be fitted back together to prove authenticity. The jagged cut is the reason such a document was called an indenture, since the edge was "indented," and it is the same idea behind the Greek and Latin terms. English took the word directly from Latin, so it is a borrowed learned term rather than one that came through everyday speech. Today it is mostly found in legal and historical writing, where it refers to a formal written agreement.

Synonyms: signed document, counterpart, duplicate