Definition
An archaic Law French term meaning "twelve." Encountered in medieval legal texts and early Norman-derived English legal records, the term appears most notably in the phrase *dudzime main*, meaning "twelve hands" — a reference to the number of oath-helpers or compurgators required in certain formal legal proceedings under early English law.
Why It Matters in Research
Researchers working in Anglo-Norman legal records, early English customary law, or the Laws of William the Conqueror will encounter this term in its numerical sense. Its primary legal significance lies in the phrase *dudzime main*, which directly implicates the practice of compurgation — the procedural system in which a party to a dispute could establish innocence or obligation by assembling a prescribed number of oath-swearers. The number twelve carried specific procedural weight in these contexts, and recognizing *dudzime* as a numeral rather than a proper noun or substantive legal concept is essential to correct interpretation. Researchers should not expect this term to appear in post-medieval sources; it belongs almost entirely to the Norman and early Angevin periods of English legal history. Confusion with later jury terminology (which also centers on twelve) is possible but the procedural contexts are distinct. Cross-reference compurgation and wager of law entries when tracing how this numerical requirement evolved into or was displaced by jury-based procedure.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary is the sole historical shelf source capturing this term, and its entry is brief: the term is flagged as Law French, defined as "twelve," and attributed to Kelham's glossary of Norman-French legal terms. The citation to *LL. Gul. Cong. 1. 4* refers to the Laws of William the Conqueror, a foundational source for understanding Norman legal transplants into English practice. Burrill adds no independent analysis beyond the gloss and citation, which is characteristic of his treatment of purely terminological entries drawn from foreign-language legal vocabularies. No other standard historical legal dictionary — not Black's early editions, not Bouvier, not Tomlin's Law Dictionary — appears to have carried this term, reflecting its extreme technical specificity and the narrow range of sources in which it appears. Researchers should treat Kelham's *Glossary of Norman-French* as the primary philological authority if deeper linguistic analysis is needed.
Jurisdictional Note
This term is specific to the historical English legal tradition as shaped by Norman French influence following 1066. It has no application in American law, equity practice, or any modern jurisdiction.