england-and-wales legal-terms common-law legal-history
Why are formal accusations of crimes called “charges”?
<p>How and when did it come to be called this? What are the origins of the term “criminal charges”?</p>

<p>Charge comes ultimately from a Latin word meaning &quot;cart,&quot; the same source as &quot;car.&quot;  From <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charge#word-history" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charge#word-history</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Middle English, from Anglo-French charger, from Late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus wheeled vehicle — more at CAR</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The word was first used in the 13th century as a noun meaning &quot;burden&quot; and a verb meaning &quot;to lay a burden upon,&quot; no doubt because carriages bear burdens.  Many related senses followed, including those relating to financial burdens (how much does the service provider charge?) and other liabilities, including potential criminal liabilities.</p>

<p>It is just the verb that describes the act of making an allegation against a person, and as a noun, the allegation itself.</p>
<p>See James Fitzjames Stephen, <em>A Digest of the Law of Criminal Procedure</em> (1883) [print edition]:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>... the overt acts <em>charged</em> in the indictment</p>
<p>Any number of accessories ... may be <em>charged</em>...</p>
<p>Each count must <em>charge</em> one offence and no more</p>
<p>etc.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>See <em>Chitty on Criminal Law</em> (1826) [print edition]</p>
<blockquote>
<p>... the <em>charge</em> must contain a certain description of the crime ...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Oxford English Dictionary's entry for &quot;<a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/30688" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>charge, v.</em></a>&quot; traces this usage to 1559 in the context of criminal accusations, and to around 1450 in the context of accusations more generally. This is closely related to the conception of <em>charge</em> as placing a burden or load upon something.</p>
