Definition
In old English law, a measure of liquor denoting as much as was sufficient to drink at once — a single serving or draught. The term appears in medieval monastic and ecclesiastical records as a unit of liquid measure, though no precise volumetric equivalent was standardized.
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Why It Matters in Research
Justa is an archaic measure term encountered almost exclusively in medieval English ecclesiastical and monastic sources. Researchers working with early English records — particularly those involving monastic provisions, hospitality obligations, or grants of victuals — may encounter the term in contexts that appear to describe quantities of drink owed to tenants, pilgrims, or servants. Because justa describes a functional measure ("enough to drink at once") rather than a fixed volumetric unit, it is not interchangeable with other historic liquid measures such as the gill, pottle, or quart.
The primary trap for corpus researchers is encountering the term in Latin-language documents and conflating it with the adjective justus/justa meaning "just" or "lawful" — a far more common Latin legal word. These are unrelated usages. Burrill's cross-reference to "Justus" reflects this ambiguity: the entry there addresses the adjective, not the measure.
The single source citation across all historical dictionaries — Monasticon Anglicanum — suggests that documented usage is narrow. Researchers should not expect to find justa as a measure term outside of monastic and early ecclesiastical records. It does not migrate into common law pleading or later English statute.
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Historical Dictionary Support
All three source dictionaries converge on the same narrow definition: a measure of liquor equal to a single sufficient draught. Black's first and second editions reproduce virtually identical text, both citing the Monasticon Anglicanum. Neither edition elaborates on volumetric equivalents or provides additional documentary examples, reflecting the term's limited legal footprint.
Burrill takes a different editorial path, redirecting the reader to "Justus" rather than offering an independent definition. This cross-reference is potentially misleading: Burrill appears to treat justa as a variant form of justus (the Latin adjective for "just" or "lawful"), which is a distinct term. The Latin dictionary entry confirms this duality — justa as a neuter plural of justus has an entirely separate meaning relating to funeral rites or last rites (justa facere: to perform funeral duties). Neither Black's edition engages with these alternative Latin senses, likely because their legal significance in English law is minimal.
The historical sources collectively provide little more than a placeholder definition. Researchers requiring depth on medieval monastic measures will need to look beyond standard legal dictionaries to specialized historical lexica of medieval Latin, such as Du Cange's Glossarium.
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Jurisdictional Note
Justa as a legal measure term is specific to medieval English ecclesiastical and monastic contexts. It has no recognized application in American law or in post-medieval English common law.
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