Parlamentum

Parlamentum is a Latin term used in medieval Latin to denote a gathering or assembly convened for consultation on matters of state. The word is derived from vernacular forms such as French parlement, itself from Latin parlare, to speak, reflecting the function of a speaking assembly that bargains, argues, and advises.

The form and scope of parlementum varied widely across medieval Europe. Assemblies could be temporary councils summoned by a king or emperor, or more formal estates comprising nobles, clergy, and, in some regions, town representatives or other social estates. The principal functions were to advise the sovereign, discuss policy, grant or withhold taxation, and negotiate privileges or laws. In many contexts, parlementum was primarily consultative rather than a sovereign legislative body with independent power.

Over time, the concept evolved differently in various polities. In some places, Latin references to parlementum gave way to vernacular terms for representative bodies—parliament in English, Cortes or Cortes Generales in Iberia, Estates General in France and the Low Countries. In other contexts, bodies called parlements referred to high courts or councils rather than popular or representative legislatures. The Latin term remains a scholarly label for the historical idea of collective deliberation and governance that contributed to the development of modern parliaments.

Today, parlementum is chiefly used in philology and history to discuss how medieval rulers consulted elites and other estates, and how the modern concept of a parliament emerged from these earlier assemblies. The term emphasizes the speaking, deliberative aspect at the heart of representative governance.