I was in a Textile Museum recently and came across a great word that I had not heard of: sumptuary. The reason some of the ornate fabrics were no longer made was because of sumptuary laws.
Have any of you used this word? While it means laws limiting the expenditure of apparel, food or furniture, it can also mean laws discouraging the tear-downs of small homes to build large ones on small plots (a real problem in our area!) or laws limiting behavior on moral grounds, such as gambling. Any other legal terms that can be used for everyday issues?
I was aware of the word "sumptuary," but not because of seeing it in legal work. Rather, you'll from time to time read that Congress is imposing a "sumptuary tax" on such items as alcohol, tobacco, or luxury automobiles.
I've never heard of "sumptuary laws" as opposed to "sumptuary taxes."
Wow! And, you are a lawyer! That's what the dictionaries say, but then sometimes they can be misleading.
So, you've never heard of "sumptuary laws" in relation to limiting the tear-downs of smaller homes so that huge monstrosities can be built on postage stamp lots? I do know that local communities sometimes enact those types of laws.
quote: I was in a Textile Museum recently and came across a great word that I had not heard of: sumptuary. The reason some of the ornate fabrics were no longer made was because of sumptuary laws.
I've heard of sumptuary laws, not sumptuary taxes. I remembered them as being laws that limited your dress according to your station in life, something along the lines of only royalty being allowed to wear purple.
