Definition
An archaic Law French term meaning "saddled." Appears in historical legal texts in the compound phrase *selez e enfrenez*, meaning "saddled and bridled," used to describe the condition of a horse as part of property descriptions or conveyance formulas in Norman and early English legal instruments.
Why It Matters in Research
This term will appear only in highly specialized research into Norman law and early post-Conquest English legal texts. Its practical relevance is narrow: researchers working with the Laws of William the Conqueror (*Leges Gulielmi Conquestoris*) or similar early medieval Norman sources may encounter it in clauses describing the transfer or forfeiture of horses and livestock, where the physical condition or equipment of the animal was legally material to the transaction or penalty. The phrase *selez e enfrenez* functions as a fixed descriptor in such texts, analogous to later common law formulas specifying the state of chattels at the time of transfer. Researchers should not expect to find this term in post-medieval case law, statutes, or equity practice. It belongs almost entirely to the stratum of Law French documentary sources from the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary is the sole shelf source to record this term, and its entry is minimal: a one-line gloss identifying *selez* as Law French for "saddled," with the compound phrase *selez e enfrenez* (saddled and bridled) drawn from the Laws of William the Conqueror, chapter 1, section 22. No other major historical legal dictionaries in the Law Mind corpus — including Bouvier, Black, or Tomlin — appear to carry an entry for this term. The absence is unsurprising given the term's extreme archaism and narrow textual provenance. Burrill's coverage of Law French remnants is among his more distinctive contributions, and this entry is representative of that strength. Researchers should treat the Leges Gulielmi Conquestoris reference as the primary textual anchor and consult editions of that source directly for fuller context.
Jurisdictional Note
This term originates in Norman legal usage following the Conquest of 1066 and has no meaningful application in any modern jurisdiction. It is relevant only to historical legal research focused on Anglo-Norman and early English law.