Garnish in Europe

Definition of Garnish

(1) To warn. (2) To exact money from prisoners.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (1911):

“Garnish, a word meaning to fit out, equip, furnish, now particularly used of decoration or ornament. It is formed from the O. Fr. _garnisant_ or _guarnissant_, participle of _garnir_, _guarnir_, to furnish, equip. This is of Teutonic origin, the base being represented in O. Eng.
_warnian_, to take warning, beware, and Ger. _warnen_, to warn, Eng.  _warn_; the original sense would be to guard against, fortify, hence equip or fit out. The meaning of “warn” is seen in the law term”garnishee,” a person who owes money to or holds money belonging to
another and is “warned” by order of the court not to pay it to his immediate creditor but to a third person who has obtained final judgment against that creditor.”

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See Also

ATTACHMENT; EXECUTION; BANKRUPTCY