Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: DECALVATIO
Definition: Decalvatio is an old practice where a person's hair is cut off to show that they have lost all their honor. Some people thought it meant taking off the scalp, but it really just meant cutting the hair.
Definition: Decalvatio (dee-kal-vay-shee-oh) is a historical practice of cutting off a person's hair to symbolize a total loss of honor. It was a Germanic practice that was interpreted by some early legal historians as scalping, but it actually referred only to the cutting of hair.
Example: In ancient Rome, decalvatio was used as a punishment for women who committed adultery. The woman's hair would be cut off in public to shame her and show that she had lost her honor.
Explanation: This example illustrates how decalvatio was used as a form of punishment to shame and dishonor someone. By cutting off a woman's hair in public, it was a way to show that she had committed a shameful act and had lost her honor in society.