oyez

Bailiff's attention call

Oyez is a courtroom cry meaning "hear ye," traditionally called three times by a bailiff or crier to open court proceedings: Oyez, oyez, oyez, the court is now in session.

The word comes from Anglo-Norman and sounds like "oh-yay" or "oh-yes." It survives mainly as legal ceremony, lending courtrooms an air of ancient formality.

crier

town crier

Official public announcer

proclamationFormal public announcement
announcementPublic declaration of information
heraldOfficial news announcer

bell · scroll · marketplace · square · summons · decree · edict · pronouncement · broadcast · notify

judicial

courtroom

Judicial proceedings chamber

bailiffLegal proceeding overseer
gavelSmall ceremonial hammer
judgeOne who decides

hearing · session · trial · verdict · jury · plaintiff · defendant · testimony · witness · attorney

archaic

ye

Archaic second-person plural

hear yeFormal call for attention
harkListen, old-fashioned
hearkenListen with attention

prithee · forsooth · henceforth · wherefore · thee · thou · verily · olde · medieval · antiquated

ceremonial

ritual

Ceremonial set of actions

traditionCustom passed through generations
solemnitySerious, dignified quality
formalityStrict observance of convention

regalia · pageantry · convocation · proceeding · session · pomp · fanfare · official · decorum · protocol

Categories

archaic exclamationsalack, alas, egad, egads, fie
old exclamationszounds, gadzooks, egad, egads, forsooth
Ritual Wordsamen, hallelujah, alleluia, hosanna, blessed be
Legal Latinab initio, bona fide, caveat emptor, certiorari, de facto
legal termstrial, legal, appeal, lawsuit, law
medieval Frenchtroubadours, chevalier, chateau, seigneur, chansons de geste

Opposites

volume and audibility

Speech without full voice

murmur · mumble · hush · sotto voce · silence

attention-commanding vs. attention-avoiding

Released from duty

adjourned · case closed · as you were · stand down · never mind

ceremony opening vs. closing

oyezcase dismissed

Legal proceeding terminated

adjourned · recess

Family

audible, audibly, audibility, inaudible, inaudibly, audio, audience, audition, auditor

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G