Gloss

An interpretation, consisting of one or more words, interlinear or marginal; an annotation, explanation, or comment on ary passage in the text of a work, for purposes of elucidation or amplification. Particularly applied to the comments on the Corpus Juris. 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, (especially at the law school of Bologna,) and were hence called “yilossators.” ‘These glosses were at first inserted in the text with the words to which they referred, and were called “glosse interlineares;” but afterwards they were placed in the margin, partly at the side, and partly under the text, and called “glosse marginales.” A selection of them was made by Accursius, between A. D. 1220 and 1260, under the title of “Glossa Ordinavia,” which is of the greatest authority. Muckeld. Rom, Law, § 90. Glossa viperina est que corrodit visce ra textus. 11 Coke, 34. It is « poisonous gloss which corrupts the essence of the text.

[L. Lat. glossa, q. v.] An annotation or comment on any passage in the text of a work, for the purpose of explanation. Particularly applied to the comments on the Roman law. See Glossa.