Definition
A variant spelling of the Latin *sursum*, meaning "up" or "upward." Encountered in old European legal records and in certain editions of the *Corpus Juris Civilis*, where it appears in the phrase *susum aut jusum* (a corruption of *sursum aut deorsum*), meaning "up or down." The term carries no independent legal significance; its meaning derives entirely from its parent form, *sursum*. In the Digest of Justinian, the corresponding phrase *sursum versum vel deorsum* ("upwards or downwards") appears in the context of inheritance and family relationship calculations, describing the direction of lineal descent — ascending or descending from a common ancestor.
Common Confusion
SUSUM vs. SURSUM: These are the same word. *Susum* is a scribal or editorial variant of *sursum* found in medieval manuscripts and in the Kriegel editions of the *Corpus Juris*. Researchers encountering *susum* in a source should read it as *sursum*. The paired term *jusum* is similarly a variant of *deorsum* ("down" or "downward"). Neither variant form carries any meaning distinct from its classical counterpart.
Why It Matters in Research
The primary research risk here is one of transcription confusion. A researcher working with medieval land records, canon law manuscripts, or Romanist legal treatises may encounter *susum* and fail to recognize it as *sursum*. Because the classical spelling *sursum* is far better indexed and cross-referenced in standard Latin legal dictionaries and research tools, failing to make this identification can create a dead end.
The directional pairing *sursum/deorsum* (or *susum/jusum* in variant texts) has practical relevance in two areas of the historical corpus: (1) inheritance law, where lines of descent are traced upward toward ancestors or downward toward issue, and the distinction affects the order of succession; and (2) boundary and property descriptions in early conveyancing, where directional language marks the extent of a grant. When the phrase appears in a succession context — as in the *Digest* passage Burrill references at Dig. 38.10.10 — it signals a discussion of lineal degree calculations, not a standalone directional adverb.
Researchers using the Kriegel edition of the *Corpus Juris Civilis* should note that this edition substitutes *susum* for the classical *sursum* as a normalized textual choice. If cross-referencing against other editions or commentaries that use the classical form, the variant spelling may cause apparent textual discrepancies that are purely orthographic, not substantive.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill is the primary historical legal dictionary source treating this term, and his entry is brief but reliable. He correctly identifies *susum* as a form of *sursum*, cites Spelman's *Glossarium Archaeologicum* for the pairing *susum aut jusum*, and flags the Kriegel editorial substitution. The Latin dictionary treatment is equally spare — a simple cross-reference to *sursum* — which accurately reflects the term's status as a variant rather than an independent lexical entry.
No substantive divergence exists among sources on this point. The term is treated uniformly as a scribal or editorial variant with no independent legal meaning. Historical dictionaries focused on English common law (Coke, Termes de la Ley, Rastell) do not treat this term, which reflects its exclusively Romano-canonical and continental context.
Jurisdictional Note
*Susum* and its parent form *sursum* appear in sources rooted in Roman law and its reception in continental European legal systems. The term does not appear in the English common law tradition as a term of art. Researchers working in civil law jurisdictions, canon law, or Romanist scholarship are the audience most likely to encounter it.