NOSCITUR A SOCIIS :
The rule of construction noscitur a sociis as explained by Lord Macmillan means :”the meaning
of a word is to be judged by the company it keeps”. It is a rule wider than the rule of ejusdem
generis; rather the latter rule is only an application of the former. The rule has been lucidly
explained by Gajendragadkar J. in the following words : “This rule, according to Maxwell,
means that when two or more words which are susceptible of analogous meaning are coupled
together, they are understood to be used in their cognate sense. They take as it were their
colour from each other, that is, the more general is restricted to a sense analogous to a less
general. The same rule is thus interpreted in Words and Phrases. ‘Associated words take their
meaning from one another under the doctrine of noscitur a sociis, the philosophy of which is that
the meaning of the doubtful word may be ascertained by reference to the meaning of words
associated with it; such doctrine is broader than the maxim ejusdem generis’. In fact the latter
maxim ‘is only an illustration or specific application of the broader maxim noscitur a sociis’. It
must be borne in mind that noscitur a sociis, is merely a rule of construction and it cannot
prevail in cases where it is clear that that the wider words have been deliberately used in order
to make the scope of the defined word correspondingly wider. It is only where the intention of
the legislature in associating wider words of narrower significance is doubtful, or otherwise not
clear that the present rule of construction can be usefully applied’.
The rule of construction noscitur a sociis as explained by Lord Macmillan means :”the meaning
of a word is to be judged by the company it keeps”. It is a rule wider than the rule of ejusdem
generis; rather the latter rule is only an application of the former. The rule has been lucidly
explained by Gajendragadkar J. in the following words : “This rule, according to Maxwell,
means that when two or more words which are susceptible of analogous meaning are coupled
together, they are understood to be used in their cognate sense. They take as it were their
colour from each other, that is, the more general is restricted to a sense analogous to a less
general. The same rule is thus interpreted in Words and Phrases. ‘Associated words take their
meaning from one another under the doctrine of noscitur a sociis, the philosophy of which is that
the meaning of the doubtful word may be ascertained by reference to the meaning of words
associated with it; such doctrine is broader than the maxim ejusdem generis’. In fact the latter
maxim ‘is only an illustration or specific application of the broader maxim noscitur a sociis’. It
must be borne in mind that noscitur a sociis, is merely a rule of construction and it cannot
prevail in cases where it is clear that that the wider words have been deliberately used in order
to make the scope of the defined word correspondingly wider. It is only where the intention of
the legislature in associating wider words of narrower significance is doubtful, or otherwise not
clear that the present rule of construction can be usefully applied’.
