Definition
An obsolete Law French term meaning "to fall." Encountered in early English legal records and medieval pleading materials, where it appears in phrases describing the falling or lapsing of a legal right, claim, or action. The related phrase "lesser chaier" means "to let fall" — that is, to abandon or relinquish a claim, plea, or right of action.
Why It Matters in Research
Researchers working in early English Year Books, plea rolls, or secondary works drawing on medieval common law sources may encounter this term in its Law French context. The significance is almost entirely philological: the word itself carries no independent doctrinal weight in modern law, but its presence in a source signals that the surrounding text concerns the lapsing, abandonment, or forfeiture of a legal interest. Recognizing "chaier" or "lesser chaier" prevents misreading of the passage and helps the researcher identify which substantive doctrine — abatement, discontinuance, waiver, or forfeiture — the original source is actually addressing. Cross-reference against the related entry CHEIR, which Burrill himself flags as the cognate form; variant spellings in manuscript sources are common and the two forms should be treated as interchangeable for research purposes.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary provides the sole dictionary support identified for this term. The entry is minimal: it gives the language of origin (Law French), the translation ("to fall"), the compound phrase "lesser chaier" ("to let fall"), and a citation to Kelham's glossary of Norman French as the authority. Burrill cross-references CHEIR without elaborating on the distinction between the two spellings. No independent doctrinal content is offered beyond the bare translation, which is consistent with how Burrill treats Law French vocabulary terms that function as linguistic remnants rather than operative legal concepts. Researchers should consult Kelham's Normand Dictionary directly if greater philological detail is needed, as Burrill appears to derive his entry from that source.
Jurisdictional Note
This term has no modern jurisdictional relevance. It is confined to historical English legal sources, primarily pre-modern common law materials written wholly or partly in Law French.