Glossa

Lat. [from Gr. glossa, a tongue.] A gloss, explanation or interpretation. The glosses of the Roman law are brief illustrative comments or annotations on the text of Justinian's collections, made by the professors who taught or lectured on them about the twelfth century, and were hence called glossators.

1 Mackeld. Civ. Law, 66, § 80.

These glosses were at first inserted in the text with the words to which they referred, and were called glossae interlineares; but afterwards they were placed in the margin, partly at the side, and partly under the text, and called glossae marginales. A selection of them was made by Accursius, between A. D. 1220, and 1260, under the title of Glossa ordinaria, which is of the greatest authority. Id. ibid. Glossa viperina est quae corrodit viscera textus. That is a viperous gloss which eats out the bowels of the text.

10 Co. 70, Case of the Marshalsea.

Otherwise expressed, Viperina est expositio quae corrodit viscera textus.

11 Id. 34 a, Powlter's case. 2 Bulstr. 179.