Legal Definitions - ligare

The term ligare is a historical legal term derived from Latin.

Historically, ligare referred to:

• To tie or bind: This meaning implies creating a strong connection or obligation between parties, often through an oath, promise, or legal custom. It signifies the act of making someone or something legally or morally beholden.
• To enter into a treaty or league: This meaning refers to the act of forming a formal alliance, agreement, or pact between states, groups, or individuals, thereby creating mutual obligations and commitments.

Here are some examples illustrating the historical use of ligare:

• Imagine a medieval feudal system where a vassal would swear an oath of fealty to their lord. This solemn promise would ligare the vassal to provide military service and loyalty, while the lord would be bound to offer protection and land.

  This example illustrates "ligare" in the sense of "to tie or bind," as the oath created a strong, reciprocal obligation between the two individuals, legally and morally connecting them.

• Consider two ancient city-states that, facing a common enemy, decided to form a defensive alliance. By signing a formal agreement, they would ligare themselves to support each other in times of war, pooling their resources and armies.

  Here, "ligare" refers to "to enter into a treaty or league," as the city-states formally bound themselves together through a pact, creating mutual defense obligations.

• In a historical context, a family might use a specific legal instrument to ensure that a valuable piece of ancestral land could never be sold outside the family line. This instrument would effectively ligare the land to the family, restricting its transfer to external parties.

  This demonstrates "ligare" as "to tie or bind," showing how a legal mechanism could create a lasting connection or restriction on property, binding it to a particular lineage.