Oyez

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the website, see OYEZ Project.

Oyez (IPA pronunciation: /ojej/) is an interjection said three times in succession to introduce the opening of a court of law.

Up until the 18th century, speaking English in a British court of law was not required and one could instead use Law French, a form of French that evolved after the Norman Conquest, when Anglo-Norman became the language of the upper classes in England.

Oyez descends from the Anglo-Norman oyez, the plural imperative form of oyer, "to hear"; thus oyez means "hear ye" and was used as a call for silence and attention. It would have been common in medieval England, but it was recorded up until Middle English.

The term is still in use by the United States Supreme Court. On the first Monday of October at 10:00 am, the marshal of the Court (Court Crier) announces: "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All persons having business before the Honorable, the Supreme Court of the United States, are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the Court is now sitting. God save the United States and this Honorable Court!" [1]

The interjection is also traditionally used by town criers to attract the attention of the public to public proclamations.