circumstantia

Circumstance comes from Old French circum -, circonstance, which comes from Latin circumstantia, which meant “standing around, surrounding condition” (all this is from the OED, not me).

Annals of Strange Prescriptions: Under the circumstances « Motivated Grammar 2010

Circumstance comes from Old French circum -, circonstance, which comes from Latin circumstantia, which meant “standing around, surrounding condition” (all this is from the OED, not me).

2010 March « Motivated Grammar 2010

* quoties leges ex circumstantia colliduntur, ita ut utraque servari non potest, servanda est lex potior: [593] 1

The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury. Vol. 05. 1630-1694 1820

For this is a known rule, which takes place in all laws, that laws of less importance should give way to those that are of greater; quoties leges ex circumstantia colliduntur, ita ut utraque servari non potest, servanda est lex potior: "Whenever two laws happen to be in such circumstances as to clash with one another, so that both of them cannot be observed, that law which is better and of greater consequence is to be kept."

The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury. Vol. 05. 1630-1694 1820

It is not every man’s part, saith one of our opposites, (1188) to judge _de circumstantia, quae reddit actionem vel bonam vel malam_.

The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) George Gillespie 1630