mid-14c., "public officer appointed to administer the law" (early 13c. as a surname), also

judge-man

; from Old French

juge

, from Latin

iudex

"one who declares the law" (source also of Spanish

juez

, Italian

giudice

), a compound of

ius

"right, law" (see

just

(adj.)) + root of

dicere

"to say" (from PIE root

*deik-

"to show," also "pronounce solemnly").Extended from late 14c. to persons to decide any sort of contest; from 1550s as "one qualified to pronounce opinion." In Jewish history, it refers to a war leader vested with temporary power (as in

Book of Judges

), from Latin

iudex

being used to translate Hebrew

shophet