Definition
An archaic Law French adverb meaning "here" or "hitherto." Used in early English legal records and Year Books to indicate presence at a place or a point up to the present moment in a proceeding. The term appears in its variant form CIEINS in the same sources with identical meaning.
Why It Matters in Research
Researchers encountering CIENS or CIEINS in medieval Year Books and plea rolls should recognize it as a positional or temporal marker in procedural text, not a substantive legal term. Its significance is locational — directing attention to something occurring "here" (in this court, in this record) or "up to this point" in a matter. Because Law French blended with Latin and Middle English across different scribal hands and periods, variant spellings are common; researchers should not assume a different meaning from different spellings. The term is essentially extinct after the decline of Law French in English courts, completed by statute in the eighteenth century, and will not appear in modern materials. It surfaces almost exclusively in Year Book entries from the early to mid fourteenth century.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary is the primary historical source documenting this term for English-language legal researchers. Burrill's entry is brief, anchoring the definition to Year Book citations from Michaelmas Term of the eighth and tenth years of Edward III's reign. No substantial doctrinal content attaches to the term in the historical dictionaries — it functions as procedural vocabulary rather than a term of art carrying legal consequence. Other major historical dictionaries, including Bouvier and Black's early editions, do not appear to carry independent entries for CIENS, reflecting its narrow circulation even among practitioners of the era who used Law French. Burrill's entry stands as the accessible reference point, though researchers requiring full context should consult the cited Year Books directly.
Jurisdictional Note
This term is specific to the English common law tradition in the era of Law French pleading and reporting. It has no counterpart or continuing relevance in American jurisdictions or in modern English law.