Where does “Danelaw” come from?
Danelaw (English) comes from Middle English Dene lawe, from Old English Dena lagu, from Old English lagu, from Old Norse lǫg, from Old Norse lág, from Old Norse leggja, from Proto-Germanic lagjaną, from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- — to lie.
Ancestry of “Danelaw”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Dene lawe | — |
| 2 | Old English | Dena lagu | — |
| 3 | Old English | lagu | sea, water, lake; the runic character ᛚ; law,... |
| 4 | Old Norse | lǫg | fate; situation, the condition that one is given... |
| 5 | Old Norse | lág | a felled tree; log; lying tree |
| 6 | Old Norse | leggja | to lay, place, put; to make, build |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | lagjaną | to lay, to place in a resting position |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | legʰ- | to lie |