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Probably a rarity among English speakers in that it seems to be purely English in origin. Perhaps formulated in the mid 15th century.

As in "you say what you hear or have heard."

As any fan of courtroom dramas should know, hearsay evidence is almost never allowed.

Hearsay is defined as a statement, other than the one made by the declarant while testifying, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Slava wrote that such statements are almost never allowed and this is because even though some statements ARE hearsay the law allows them as an exception, due to the circumstances that make such statements reliable. An example would be statements made for the purpose of medical treatment based on the assumption that someone seeking medical treatment will tell the truth and that the medical care provider being informed will have recorded it accurately. There is another set of statements which are not hearsay, such as an admission by a party opponent.