Where Have All The Articles Gone?

"The time is out of joint; O cursed spite!/That ever I was born to set it right!"*

The term "article" has an interesting etymology. It is derived (via Latin) from the Ancient Greek word, ?ρθρον, meaning a bodily joint. Articles, like joints, connect things together.

In corporate law, we have "articles of incorporation". The California General Corporation Law specifies that the articles include certain specified provisions (Section 202) and may include other optional provisions (Section 204). Neither statute requires that the provisions be organized under separate articles. Nonetheless, it has become common practice for the various required and optional provisions to be set forth in separate numbered articles. Often the numbers are Roman numerals or written out as "First", "Second", et cetera. There is a certain convenience to numbering provisions n the articles of incorporation because it provides a mechanism for easy reference in future filings. For example,