Quote:
Originally Posted by kato13
I just realized that martial, Marshall, and marshal (law enforcement) could in some cases be used interchangeably without too much variance in the meaning of a sentence. Pretty odd given martial and marshal come from two different latin words (for war and horse I believe).
No more odd than religious and sacrilegious also not being related I guess.
English is weird.
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Yes, English is weird, but it works better when used properly.
Martial law is when civil authority (which in the US usually has the duty of law enforcement and keeping the peace) is replaced by peace-keeping and control by the military; due process is suspended, and soldiers, following a military chain of command are used to keep peace pursuant to orders by their (military) commanders.
A Marshal was originally a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble, originally having charge of the cavalry but later usually in command of the military forces (hence "Field Marshal"; and related a municipal Fire Marshal, who commands/orders/prepare a Fire Department).
There is also a more current (US) meaning is an officer appointed for a judicial district (as of the U.S.) to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff (2) : a city law officer entrusted with particular duties.
There is no "Marshal Law" except in a western, where a town may appoint a town marshal rather than a Sheriff, who was generally elected.
As an amusing side-note, the Marshallsea Prison of London (Medieval to 18th Century) would today be spelt Marshalcy, as it was (originally) the place where the Marshal of England could hold the prisoners that the King told him to hold on to. But the spelling of English was rather fluid until the late 18th/ early 19th Century.