<P> The word plaintiff can be traced to the year 1278 and stems from the Anglo - French word pleintif meaning "complaining". It was identical to "plaintive" at first and receded into legal usage with the - iff spelling in the 15th century . </P> <P> A plaintiff identified by name in a class action is called a named plaintiff . </P> <P> In most common law jurisdictions, the term "claimant" used in England and Wales since 1999 (see below) is used only in specific, often non-judicial contexts . In particular, in American usage, terms such as "claimant" and "claim form" are limited to extrajudicial process in insurance and administrative law . After exhausting remedies available through an insurer or government agency, an American claimant in need of further relief would turn to the courts, file a complaint (thus establishing a real court case under judicial supervision) and become a plaintiff . </P> <P> In England and Wales, the term "claimant" replaced "plaintiff" after the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 came into force on 26 April 1999 . The move, which brings England and Wales out of line with general usage in English - speaking jurisdictions, was reportedly based on an assessment that the word "claimant" is more acceptable as "plain English" than the word "plaintiff". In Scottish law a plaintiff is referred to as a "pursuer" and a defendant as a "defender". </P>

What is the abbreviation commonly used to represent a defendant in a court action