Mayhem Was Once a Specific Crime
Mayhem means violent disorder. In English law it named the precise offence of disabling a man's fighting ability.
Mayhem means violent disorder or chaos. English law used it precisely: the offence of *mayhem* was maiming someone so as to reduce their ability to fight, which mattered when every free man might be called to defend the realm. Cutting off a finger was mayhem; cutting off an ear was not, since it did not affect fighting.
- Violent disorder. *Complete mayhem.*
- A crime of maiming (historical). *Charged with mayhem.*
- Maim — the related verb. *Maimed in the accident.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mayhem | Sheer mayhem. |
| Related | maim | Maimed for life. |
| Related | chaos | Total chaos. |
| Related | havoc | Wreak havoc. |
| Related | pandemonium | Utter pandemonium. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The result caused mayhem.Disorder.
- Mayhem and maim are the same word.Different spellings of one French original.
- Pandemonium was coined by Milton.The capital of Hell in Paradise Lost.
Words for chaos
- Mayhem — violent disorder, once a specific crime
- Havoc — from a cry authorising plunder
- Pandemonium — coined by Milton as the capital of Hell
- Chaos — from Greek, the void before creation
- Bedlam — from Bethlem hospital in London
From Anglo-French *mahaim*, injury, from Old French *mahaignier*, to injure — the same word that gives English *maim*.
What was the crime of mayhem?
Injuring someone so as to reduce their capacity to fight. The distinction mattered because free men were expected to be able to bear arms.
Where does *bedlam* come from?
From the Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem in London, which housed people with mental illness and whose name was shortened to Bedlam.