An oath (from
Anglo-Saxon ) is either a
promise or a
statement of
fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers
sacred, usually a
god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the
truth of the statement of fact. To is to take an oath.A person taking an oath indicates this in a number of ways. The most usual is the explicit "I swear," but any statement or promise that includes "with N as my witness" or "so help me N," with N being something or someone the oath-taker holds sacred, is an oath. Many people take an oath by holding in their hand or placing over their head a book of
scripture or a sacred object, thus indicating the sacred witness through their action: such an oath is called corporal. However, the chief purpose of such an act is for ceremony or solemnity, and the act does not of itself make an oath. There is confusion between oaths and other statements or promises. The current
Olympic Oath, for instance, is really a
pledge and not properly an oath since there is only a "promise" and no appeal to a sacred witness. Oaths are also confused with
vows, but really a vow is a special kind of oath. In
law, oaths are made by a
witness to a
court of law before giving
testimony and usually by a newly-appointed
government officer to the people of a
state before taking office. In both of those cases, though, an
affirmation can be usually substituted. A written statement, if the author swears the statement is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is called an
affidavit. The oath given to support an affidavit is frequently administered by a
notary public who will memorialize the giving of the oath by affixing her or his seal to the document. Breaking an oath is
perjury, although in modern usage perjury means breaking an oath or affirmation to tell the truth in court.
See more at Wikipedia.org...
(pl. )
of Oath
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