FELONIA

felonia (f<<schwa>>-loh-nee-<<schwa>>). [Latin “felony”] Hist. An offense that results in a

vassal’s forfeiting his fee.

“The attempt to derive felonia from fel ‘poison’ is merely a folk etymology which came into

vogue when ‘felony’ meant a serious crime, and differed from treason. The word was well

established in Feudal Law as the characteristic offense against the Feudal relationship. It will

hardly do, therefore, to try to determine its meaning merely by reference to English usage ….”

Max Radin, Handbook of Anglo-American Legal History 148 n.7 (1936).[Blacks Law 8th]