Where does “brother-in-law” come from?
brother-in-law (English) comes from Middle English brother-in-lawe, from Middle English lawe, 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.
brother-in-law (English): A male relative of one's generation, separated by...
Definitions
- A male relative of one's generation, separated by...
Ancestry of “brother-in-law”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | brother-in-lawe | The brother of one's spouse; The husband of one's... |
| 2 | Middle English | lawe | A law, regulation, or a group of them; Morality,... |
| 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 |