Conversation so far:
what are the parties in a criminal case
Parties in a criminal case include: plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, cross-complainant, or cross-defendant.
what is the plaintiff
A plaintiff is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an action) before a court.
is the term plaintiff used outside of america
In most English-speaking jurisdictions, including Nigeria, Australia, and Canada the legal term plaintiff is used as a general term for the party taking action in a civil case.

Question: what is the origin of the term
Self-contained rewrite: what is the origin of the term plaintiff