plural of heritrice; multiple female heirs or women entitled to inheritance.
French plural of 'heritrice' from Latin 'heritrix'. A formal plural form, more common in legal and French-influenced English documents.
This is basically the fancy foreign plural of 'heritress'—you'd find it in very formal medieval documents written partly in French (which is basically what Norman English was for several centuries).
Plural feminine of heritrix (Latin legal form for female heir). Existence reflects Roman and medieval legal systems that required explicit feminine forms, signaling women's inheritance as exceptional or secondary to male succession.
Use 'heirs' (gender-neutral) or specify 'female heirs' only when historical legal asymmetry is being discussed. Avoid marking women's inheritance as a special category.
["heirs","female heirs (historical context only)"]
Roman and medieval women who inherited property, especially in societies with dowry or dower laws, exercised rare economic power. Their legal status as heritrices was often contested and fragile.
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