[ad. L. coemptiōn-em the action of purchasing together, buying up.]
1. The buying up of the whole supply of any commodity in the market.
The first quotation appears to show that Chaucer understood Boethius’s coemptio as meaning ‘joint purchase.’
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. iv. 15. Coempcioun þat is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere þat were establissed vpon people by swiche a manere imposicioun as who so bouȝte a busshel corn he moste ȝeue þe Kyng þe fifte part. Textus. Whan it was in þe soure hungry tyme þere was establissed or cried greuous and inplitable coempcioun þat … schulde … endamagen al þe prouince of compaigne.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Riches (Arb.), 239. Monopolies, and Coemption of Wares for Resale, where they are not restrained, are great Meanes to enrich.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., I. 18. The whole Province of Campania had like to have been ruin’d by an Imposition upon the People, which pass’d under the Name of a Coemption.
2. Roman Law. A form of civil marriage consisting in a mutual fictitious sale of the two parties. The same form of fictitious sale was also employed by women in certain ‘fiduciary’ transactions.
1676. R. Dixon, Two Testaments, 551. Coemption, the Man asking the Woman if she would be willing to be the Mother of the Family, and she answering she is willing; and the Woman asking the Man … and he answering he is willing.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 226/2.
1864. Maine, Anc. Law, v. (1876), 154. The higher form of civil marriage, which was called Coemption.
1880. Muirhead, trans. Instit. Gaius, I. § 115 a. Fiduciary coemption was also had recourse to of old to enable a woman to make a will.
Hence Coemptional a. [L. coemptiōnāl-is], relating to coemption. Coemptionator [L.], one who enters into a coemption. Coemptive a., of the nature of coemption.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Coemptional, which is often in buying, or a buying together.
1875. Poste, Gaius, I. comm. (ed. 2), 107. Bondage was the result of mancipation by a parent or coemptionator. Ibid., I. § 123. If it is asked in what respect coemptive conveyance differs from mancipation, the answer is this, that coemption does not reduce to a servile condition.
1880. Muirhead, trans. Instit. Gaius, I. § 118. She … stands to her coemptionator in the position of a daughter who is married to him.
