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Teutonic word—cf. Goth. galga, O. H. Ger. galgo, Mod. Ger. Galgen, A.S. galzan, &c.--of uncertain i The word " gallows " is the plural of a word (galwe, galowe, gallow) which, according to the New See also:

ENGLISH

English See also:

DICTIONARY

Dictionary, was occasionally used as See also:

LATE

late as the 17th century, though from the 13th century on-wards the plural See also:

FORM (Lat. forma)

form was more usual.

See also:

CAXTON, WILLIAM (c. 1422-1491)

Caxton speaks both of " a gallows," and, in the older form, of " a pair of gallows," this referring Probably to the two upright posts. From the 16th century onwards gallows " has been consistently treated as a singular form, a new plural, " gallowses," having come into use. " The latter, thoughorigin), the apparatus for executing the See also:

SENTENCE (Lat. sententia, a way of thinking, opinion, judgment; vote, sentire, to feel, think)

sentence- of See also:

DEATH

death by See also:

HANGING

hanging. It usually consists of two upright posts and a See also:

CROSS

cross-See also:

beam, but sometimes of a single upright with a beam projecting from the See also:

TOP (cf. Dan. top, Ger. Topf, also meaning pot)

top. The See also:

ROMAN

Roman gallows was the cross, and in the older See also:

TRANSLATIONS

translations of the See also:

Bible " gallows " was used for the cross on which See also:

Christ suffered (so galga in See also:

ULFILAS (c. 311-383)

Ulfilas's See also:

GOTHIC

Gothic Testament).' Another form of gallows in the See also:

MIDDLE

middle ages was that of which the famous example at See also:

MONTFAUCON, BERNARD DE (1655-1741)

Montfaucon near See also:

Paris was the type. This was a square structure formed of columns of See also:

MASONRY

masonry connected in each tier with cross-pieces of See also:

wood, and with pits beneath, into which the bodies See also:

fell after disarticulation by exposure to the See also:

WEATHER (O. Eng. weder; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Du. weder, Dan. veir, Icel. ve8r, and Ger. Wetter and Gewitter, storm; the root is wa- to blow, from which is derived " wind ")

weather. According to actual usage the condemned See also:

man stands on a See also:

PLATFORM (Fr. plateforme, i.e. ground plan)

platform or drop (introduced in See also:

England in 176o), the rope hangs from the cross-beam, and the noose at its end is placed See also:

ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round his See also:

NECK (O. Eng. hnecca; the word appears in many Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch ride, Ger. Nacken; in O. E. the common word was heals; cf. Ger. Hals)

neck. He is hanged by the falling of the drop, the See also:

knot in the noose being so adjusted that the See also:

SPINAL

spinal See also:

CORD (derived through the Fr. corde, from the Lat. chorda, Gr. xop(5rt, the string of a musical instrument)

cord is broken by the fall and death instantaneous. In old times the See also:

PROCESS

process was far less merciful; sometimes the condemned man stood in a See also:

CART (A.S. crcet, Gaelic cairt; connected with " car ")

cart, which was See also:

DRAWN

drawn away from under him; sometimes he had to See also:

MOUNT, WILLIAM SIDNEY (1807-1868)

mount a See also:

LADDER, (0. Eng. hlaeder; of Teutonic origin, cf. Dutch leer, Ger. Leiter; the ultimate origin is in the root seen in " lean," Or. KNiµat)

ladder, from which he was thrust by the hangman. Until 1832 malefactors in England were sometimes hanged by being drawn up from the platform by a heavy See also:

WEIGHT

weight at the other end of the rope. Death in these cases was by strangulation. At the See also:

PRESENT

present See also:

time executions in the See also:

UNITED

United See also:

KINGDOM

Kingdom are private, the gallows being erected in a chamber or enclosed space set apart for the purpose inside the See also:

GAOL, or JAIL

gaol.

The word " gibbet," the Fr. gibet, gallows, which appears in the first instance to have meant a crooked stick,' was originally used in English synonymously with gallows, as it sometimes still is. Its later and more See also:

SPECIAL

special application, however, was to the upright posts with a projecting See also:

ARM (a common Teutonic word; the Indo-European root is ar, to join or fit; cf. the Lat. armus, shoulder, and the plural word arma, weapons, Gr. apphs, joint, and the reduplicated apapilKSV, to join)

arm on which the bodies of criminals were suspended after their See also:

EXECUTION (from Lat. ex-sequor, exsecutus, follow or carry out)

execution. These gibbets were erected in conspicuous spots, on the tops of hills (Gallows See also:

Hill is still a common name) or near frequented roads. The bodies, smeared with See also:

pitch to prevent too rapid decomposition, hung in chains as a warning to evildoers. From the gruesome See also:

CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom comes the common use of the word " to gibbet " for any holding up to public See also:

INFAMY (Lat. infamia)

infamy or contempt.

End of Article: GALLOWAY

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