Talk:Suo motu/Archive 1

Bold textthe word is widely used to describe the political events in india...especially when some higher authority takes an action on an important topic without the consultation of anyone else and the decision holds [2] Suo motu, meaning "on its own motion," is a Latin legal term, approximately equivalent to the term sua sponte. For example, it is used where a government agency acts on its own cognizance, as in "the Commission took suo motu control over the matter." Example - "there is no requirement that a court suo motu instruct a jury upon these defenses." State v. Pierson. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2405:204:A09F:B4DC:C664:451:CE96:1469 (talk) 01:53, 12 August 2017 (UTC)

suo moto

Generally used in Indian legal parlance. A court takes suo moto action, meaning it starts a legal process on its own. Shorter versions of Oxford, Websters Unabridged, Chambers etc. lack this phrase. Isn't this used in other parts of the world? Dhwaga (talk) 05:23, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

It should be "suo motu". The Catholic church uses a similar phrase, "proprio motu". "Sua sponte" is another similar phrase. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:05, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

But sir, I see Suo moto. Pity, I hadn't looked earlier. But I still can't see why it is not there in those dictionaries I named. Dhwaga (talk) 12:38, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

My 1983 edition of Chambers Dictionary does have suo motu (meaning "on one's own initiative") listed, but it is not in the main text, rather it is in the "Phrases and quotations from Latin, Greek and modern foreign languages" near the back. I suspect the reason it is not in the main text, and not in the other dictionaries mentioned, is that altho' the phrase is used in English-speaking countries, the editors have made a judgment that its use is not widespread enough to include it in a general dictionary. Hope this helps, DuncanHill (talk) 13:02, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

When I checked the "history" of Suo moto I see that a guy moved the page from Suo motu to to its current headword. This is the relevant item in the history.

(cur) (last) 17:31, 25 March 2006 Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (Talk | contribs) m (moved Suo motu to Suo moto: The term "Suo Motu" does not exist. It is in reference with Suo moto cognizance) (undo) Really funny! Dhwaga (talk) 13:06, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

As far as I'm concerned, suo moto is just plainly wrong. The Latin noun motus ("motion") is a noun in the fourth declension[1][2], which does not have a form like moto but keeps the u in all forms. In theory, moto might a form of the perfect participe motus of the verb moveo, which means: "[something] having been moved", but that does not fit with the meaning.

Here are a few sources in the Latin Wikisource containing the combination suo motu: Ethica - Pars secunda - De natura et origine mentis, Principia philosophiae, Compendium theologiae, Historia Scholastica, Commentariorum in Somnium Scipionis.

Suo moto by itself can be Latin, as we saw, and in fact also Italian, but in both cases it does not have the right meaning.  --Lambiam 21:22, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

I think this calls for a move back to suo motu. Aecis^Brievenbus 13:02, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Done! Adam Bishop (talk) 19:29, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

I can see where you are coming from, and I have never been a student of latin. However, the term "suo moto" has been widely used in Indian legal parlance, than "suo motu". – [3]. Best, — Nearly Headless Nick {C} 10:27, 23 December 2007 (UTC)