Pikázání

Pikázání is a historical Czech-language term used to denote a formal command or edict issued by a feudal or royal authority. The word combines pik(a) meaning pike or spear with the suffix -ání, and it is attested mainly in medieval and early modern sources. In scholarly discussions, pikázání is described not as a distinct legal category, but as a label for the ceremonial act of issuing a command, often associated with the display or symbolism of a pike carried by a guard or messenger.

Historical context: The term appears in Bohemian and Moravian records from the 14th to 16th centuries, in charters, proclamations, and municipal minutes. Pikázání was typically used to mobilize labor, summon peasants, or impose taxes and military obligations. Proclamations were often public, announced by heralds and accompanied by the visible presence of soldiers with pikes, reinforcing the authority of the edict.

Etymology and form: The base word 'pik(a)' means spear or pike. The suffix -ání yields a noun describing the act or process. Variants found in manuscripts include pikázání, pikazování, and related spellings, reflecting orthographic practices of the period.

Modern usage: Today pikázání is mainly of interest to historians and linguists as a trace of feudal governance and language. It is rarely used outside scholarly discussion and is considered archaic in contemporary Czech.

See also: edict, proclamation, feudal obligation, medieval Czech law.

References: The term is discussed in historical dictionaries and studies of medieval administration in Czech lands.