Centena

(Law Lat. from centum, a hundred). A hundred; a district or division containing originally a hundred freemen, established among the Goths, Germans, Franks, and Lombards, for military and civil purposes, and answering to the Saxon hundred.

Spelman; 1 Bl. Comm. 115; Esprit des Lois, liv. 30, c. 17.

The Saxon division is also sometimes called centena, but is more commonly rendered in law Latin, hundredum, or hundredus.

Spelman.

See "Hundred;" "Centenarius;" "Centeni." — I

In Old Records and Pleadings

A hundred weight

Centena pisctium, a hundred weight of fish.

Pryn. 303.

Centena eerae zucarii, piperis, cumini, etc., continet tredecim petras et dimidium, the hundred weight of wax, sugar, pepper, cummin, etc., contains thirteen stone and a half. Fleta, lib.

2, c. 12. 4. See Cro. Eliz. 754.

CENTENARIUS (Law Lat.; Fr. centenier, from centena, q. v.) In old European law. One of a centena, or hundred; the head or chief of a centena (praefectus centenae), among the Goths, Germans, Franks, and Lombards; an inferior judge. CENTENI (Lat. from centum, a hundred). A hundred men; the number of men enrolled for military service from each district, among the ancient Germans, and which afterwards became their distinctive CENTESIMA (Lat. centum). In Roman law. The hundredth part.

Usuriae centesvmae

Twelve per cent, per annum, that is, a hundredth part of the principal, was due each month, the month being the unit of time from which the Romans reckoned interest.

2 Bl. Comm. 462, note.