commissa

Commissa is a Latin term that serves as the feminine singular and, in some forms, the neuter plural of the perfect passive participle of the verb committere, meaning to entrust, commit, or place in someone’s care. In grammar, commissa can function as an adjective or as a substantive phrase when paired with a noun such as res, yielding expressions like res commissa, “the entrusted matter.” Such usage appears in classical and medieval Latin texts to designate objects or tasks that have been handed over to someone for management or custody.

Etymology and form: committere combines the prefix com- with mittere (to send, to entrust). The perfect passive participle yields the forms commissus (masculine), commissa (feminine), and commissum (neuter) in the singular, with corresponding plural forms. The form commissa thus appears as the feminine singular participle or, in certain plural readings, as the neuter plural.

Usage and context: Commissa primarily occurs in Latin prose to convey the notion of assignment, delegation, or custody. It is not a modern technical term but rather a linguistic or philological element that surfaces in translations, glosses, and discussions of Latin phraseology. The concept underlies related terms such as commission (from a different Latin noun, commissio) and commissary, which enter modern legal and administrative vocabulary.

See also: Commission, Commissio, Commissary. While commissa is a grammatical form rather than a standalone concept in English, it helps illuminate how Latin expresses entrusted duties or objects within historical legal and administrative texts.