(an obsolete Anglo-Saxon word meaning assembly or group gathered for discussion and debate)
–adjective: open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point.
–verb (used with object): to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.
–noun: an assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers. [Obsolete.] a debate, argument, or discussion.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME mot(e) meeting, assembly, OE gemōt; c. ON mōt, D gemoet meeting.
Word Origin & History
moot
1154, from O.E. gemot "meeting" (especially of freemen, to discuss community affairs or mete justice), from P.Gmc. *ga-motan (cf. Old Low Frankish muot "encounter," M.Du. moet, M.H.G. muoz), from collective prefix *ga- + *motan (see meet (v.)). The adj. senses of "debatable" and "not worth considering" arose from moot case, earlier simply moot (n.) "discussion of a hypothetical law case" (1531), in law student jargon, in ref. to students gathering to test their skills in mock cases.
Source:
"moot." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 04 May. 2010.
COMPOUNDS (from OED)
moot-bell n. Obs. a bell to summon people to a moot or assembly.
c1201(c1200) Leges Edwardi Confessoris (Rylands) (London interpolation) xxxii. §A3 in F. Liebermann Gesetze der Angelsachsen (1903) I. 655 Pulsatis campanis, quod Anglici uocant *mohtbelle [c1310 Claud. motbele, a1315 Corpus Cambr. mothbele]. 1647 N. BACON Hist. Disc. Govt. 67 If the emergent occasions were sudden and important by extraordinary summons of ringing the Moot-bels [citing Old English law].
moot-blog n. a weblog where contributors discuss and debate community issues by publishing and reading posts and comments of other users. (I made this one up...JJ)
moot-book n. Obs. rare a book containing law cases to be mooted by students.
1588 A. FRAUNCE Lawiers Logike I. xvii. f. 61v, Wee by a *moote-booke and a Brookes abridgement climbe to the Barre.
moot court n. a mock court hearing at which students argue points of law for practice.
1788 T. JEFFERSON Writings (1859) II. 428 He gives lectures regularly, and holds *moot courts and parliaments wherein he presides. 1888 J. BRYCE Amer. Commonw. III. xcviii. 376 In some law schools much educational value is attributed to the moot courts in which the students are set to argue cases. 2000 Witness 14 No. 1. 107 I've gotta pick Trina up at the law school. They're rehearsing for moot court.
moot courtroom n. a room or chamber in which a moot court is held.
1936 Amer. Law School Rev. Apr. 419/1 A set of rules for preparation..should be given to the students and placed in the *moot courtroom. 1988 Advocate (Vancouver, Brit. Columbia) Nov. 931 We will be opening the doors of our Moot Courtroom and inviting the public to view the run-off competitions for the annual UBC-UVic moots.
moot-horn n. Obs. a horn for summoning people to a moot.
a1300(c1200) Chron. Jocelin of Brakelond 74 Habitaque disputacione de cuius manu cornu acciperent, quod dicitur *Mothorn. a1350(?1264) in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1909) 24 316 Statuerunt etiam inter se quod cornu haberent commune, cui intenderent cum sonum illius audirent..quod mothorn dicitur.
moot-stow n. now hist. a place where a moot is held.
OE *Motstow [see sense 1a]. 1898 F. W. MAITLAND Township & Borough 39 Cambridge is the right and proper moot-stow for the thegns of the shire.
