The phrase "without issue" means without any children, heirs or descendants. The spelling of this phrase can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription as /wɪðaʊt ˈɪʃuː/, with the stress on the second syllable "ish". The "th" in "without" is pronounced as the voiced dental fricative /ð/. The "ou" in "without" is pronounced like the "ow" in "cow". The "i" in "issue" is pronounced as the diphthong /aɪ/, and the stress is placed on the first syllable.
"Without issue" is a legal and commonly used phrase that refers to a situation where an individual or a couple does not have any living children or descendants at the time of their death. It implies that the person or couple has not produced any offspring through birth or adoption and, therefore, does not have any direct heirs or descendants who would inherit their estate or assets upon their demise.
This term is often encountered in the context of wills, trusts, and estate planning, where it is used to describe a person's lineage or family line that will not continue through subsequent generations. If an individual dies without issue, their estate might be distributed among other relatives, such as siblings, parents, or more distant relatives, in accordance with applicable laws or their own testamentary intentions.
The phrase "without issue" is also applied in genealogical studies or family history research to denote an end or termination of a particular family line. It can be used to track the lineage of ancestors, identifying when a particular branch of the family might have ceased or become extinct due to the absence of progeny or offspring.
In summary, "without issue" denotes the absence of direct descendants or living children at the time of an individual's death, impacting inheritance rights, legal succession, and genealogical records.
The word "without issue" is a legal term that dates back to Old French. The term used in Old French was "sans issue", which directly translates to "without exit" or "without outcome". In this context, "issue" refers to the offspring or children of a marriage. Over time, the phrase "without issue" came to be used in legal and estate documents to indicate that someone died without any surviving children or descendants. The phrase has remained in use in legal and formal contexts to this day, though its usage has expanded beyond solely referring to inheritance matters.