The legal term, Subpoena has come up quite a few uses throughout its history. The word subpoena comes from the Middle English words "sub" "pena". These words coming from latin, "sub" meaning under, and "poena" meaning penalty, bringing the whole word subpoena, to mean under penalty. The phrase subpoena is used in law all the time to represent a written order coming from any government agency, however it is most likely the courts. Based on how this term is used in everyday life and what the definition and origins are, I believe that this word does a very good job at conveying the message of "I want to see you testify under oath" which is very similar to "under penalty" I think that the fact that this phrase is still used as original latin speaks to how it can be used to sound threatening. Another reason I think it is still original latin is because of how universal of a term it is, if someone is served a subpoena, people know what that means based on the cultural aspect through media. This word was also made commonplace by King Richard II of England, who used it for his royal courts. I think that the practice of serving a subpoena is still very relevant in modern day society because people testifying before congress is still a very prevalent thing in world law. I also think that the word subpoena should be kept because of how it is used in media like tv shows and other drama.

Matthew Wiggans

Wikipedia

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/subpoena

FindLaw.org