Law. Forms: 6 iottsome, 7 jettson, jetsen, jetzon, jotsom, -um, -on(e, 7–9 jetson, (8 jettezoon), 9 jetsom(e, -um, (jettison), 7– jetsam. [Orig. jetson, syncopated form of jetteson, JETTISON; but soon perverted to jetsom(e (? perh. by association with native words in -some), jetsam: cf. FLOTSAM. The fuller form jettison having been restored for sense 1, jetsam remains as the accepted form in sense 2.]
† 1. The throwing of goods overboard; = JETTISON sb. Obs.
[1600. Coke, Rep., V. 106 b. Ietsam est quant le nief est in perill d’être merge et pur disburden le niefe les biens sont iects in le mere … et nul de ceux byens que sont appelles Ietsam Flotsam ou Lagan sont appeles wreck cy longe come ils remain in ou sur la mere, mais si ascun de eux sont mise al terre per le mere, donques ils seront dit wreck.]
1641. Termes de la Ley, 187 b. Ietsam is when a Ship is in perill to be drowned, and to disburden the Ship the Mariners cast the goods into the sea,… but if any of them are driven to land by the sea, there they shall bee said wrecke, and passe by the graunt of wrecke.
1755. [see JETTISON sb.].
1839. Bouvier, Law Dict., Jettison, Jetsam, the casting out of a vessel, from necessity, a part of the lading; the thing so cast out.
1883. Wharton’s Law Lex. (ed. 7), Jactus, or Jactura mercium (a throwing away of goods), jetsam.
2. Goods thrown overboard from a ship in distress in order to lighten the vessel (and afterwards washed ashore).
The last clause is no part of the etymological meaning, but is found as early as 1570, having apparently originated from taking the word as ‘that which is thrown or cast ashore by the sea.’ This is directly opposed to the quot. from Coke in sense 1, and its transl. in Les Termes de la Ley. But it is the sense given in recent Law-books. Spelman and Blackstone took the meaning as ‘merchandise thrown overboard and sunk in the sea.’ Both explanations evidently arose in the attempt to distinguish jetsam from flotsam, in the phrase flotsam and jetsam. Etymologically flotsam should mean that which is afloat in consequence of a wreck or from the action of the wind or sea itself, jetsam that which has been thrown overboard to save the ship, without reference to whether it floats or sinks.
(In quot. 1570 the word appears to be used as adj. or adv.)
1570. in Boys, Sandwich (1792), 775. [At a special brotherhood held at Sandwich: Decreed to give the Lord Warden of free gift and not otherwise the third part] of all wrecks and fyndalls floating and the half of all wrecks and fyndalls jottsome, viz. dryuen to the londe yshore.
1591. Articles conc. Admiralty, 21 July, § 6. Any ship, yron, leade, or other goods floating or lying under the water or in the depth, of which there is no possessor or owner, which commonly are called Flotzon, Jetson, and Lagon.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., s.v. Flotsen, Ietson is a thing cast out of the shippe being in daunger of wrecke, and beaten to the shore by the waters, or cast on the shore by the marriners.
[1626. Spelman, Gloss., s.v. Flotson, Iotsone id quod sidet et moratur in fundo.]
1670. Blount, Law Dict., Jetsen, Jetzon and Jotson,… Is any thing cast out of a Ship, being in danger of Wreck, and driven to the shore by the Waves.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), Jetson or Jetsam, that which being cast over board in time of Shipwrack, is found lying on the shore, and so belongs to the Lord,… Flotsam is that which is espied floating on the Sea.
1708. Termes de la Ley, 794. Jettezoons, This is mentioned in Policies of Insurance, and signifies Goods thrown into the Sea in a great Storm.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. viii. 292. If they continue at sea, the law distinguishes them by the … appellations of jetsam, flotsam, and ligan. Jetsam is where goods are cast into the sea, and there sink and remain under water.
1875. Tennyson, Q. Mary, III. iii. These … range with jetsam and with offal thrown Into the blind sea of forgetfulness.
1883. Wharton’s Law Lex. (ed. 7). Jetsam, Jettison, or Jetson, goods or other things which having been cast overboard in a storm, or after shipwreck, are thrown upon the shore.
1894. Act 57–8 Vict., c. 60 § 510. In this Part of this Act … ‘wreck’ includes jetsam, flotsam, lagan, and derelict found in or on the shores of the sea or any tidal water.
b. transf. and fig.
1861. All Y. Round, 1 June, 235. Turkey buzzards were searching for flotson and jetson in the shape of dead Irish deck hands.
1878. A. Cameron, in N. Amer. Rev., CXXVI. 486. These are the mere flotsam and jetsam thrown up by the self-moving Gulf Stream of Republican destiny.
1898. Daily News, 18 April, 5/1. What a line of flotsam and jetsam it is!… that mass of human wreckage. Ibid. (1900), 7 April, 8/2. His line of retirement … was marked for miles by the jetsam of a hurried retreat—bags of flour, mealies, bran, and odds and ends of all sorts.
