Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: TERTIA
Definition: Tertia means "a third" in history. When a woman's husband died, she was entitled to a portion of his property, which was usually referred to as a "reasonable third."
TERTIA
tertia (tər-shə), n. Hist. A third. A widow's terce was usually referred to as tertia rationabilis (“a reasonable third”).
Tertia means "a third" in history. For example, if there were three siblings, each would receive a tertia of their father's inheritance. In the past, when a man died, his wife would receive a tertia rationabilis, which means "a reasonable third" of his property. This was to ensure that the widow would have enough to live on after her husband's death.
When a farmer died, his three sons would each receive a tertia of his land.
After her husband's death, the widow received a tertia rationabilis of his estate.
These examples illustrate how tertia was used in the past to divide property or assets into three equal parts.