Question

Choose the correct meaning of the phrase.
 Inter vivos
 a. between the living
b. among the living and the dead
c. between the dead
d. among the dead and the living

Answer 1

Hint: The student should go through the options carefully. After reading the given phrase, the student should try to recall the meaning it holds and then check which of the options is closest in meaning to it.

Complete answer:
A phrase refers to an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up. For example- ‘be up’ refers to being out of bed.
In the given question, the phrase ‘inter vivos’ refers to ‘a transfer or gift made during one's lifetime’.
Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question-
Option (a.), 'between the living', refers to the Latin meaning of ‘inter vivos’.
Therefore, option (a.) is correct as it is similar to what the definition of ‘inter vivos’ says.
Option (b.), ‘among the living and the dead', refers to ‘mingling or intermixing with the living and the dead’. Therefore, option (b.) is incorrect as it is not similar to the meaning of ‘inter vivos’.
Option (c.), ‘between the dead’, refers to ‘amongst the dead’. Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as it is not synonymous to that of ‘inter vivos’s definition.
Option (d.), ‘among the dead and the living’, refers to ‘mingling or intermixing with the living and the dead’. Therefore, option (d.) is incorrect as it is not similar to what ‘inter vivos’ means.

Note:
 In this type of question, the student must always recall that phrases should not be taken literally, as they seldom mean what the words in the phrase collectively portray to mean. Let’s now look at an example where the given phrase ‘inter vivos’ is used- The courts ruled in favor of the son and said that the gift was a valid inter vivos gift.