Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “law” come from?

Law derives from Middle English lawe, from Old English hlāw, from Old Norse lǫg, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots lakw-, ḱley-, and ḱel-.

law (English): The body of binding rules and regulations,...

Definitions

  1. The body of binding rules and regulations,...

Ancestry of “law”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishlaweA law, regulation, or a group of them; Morality,...
2Old Englishlagusea, water, lake; the runic character ᛚ; law,...
3Old Norselǫgfate; situation, the condition that one is given...
4Old Norselága felled tree; log; lying tree
5Old Norseleggjato lay, place, put; to make, build
6Proto-Germaniclagjanąto lay, to place in a resting position
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlegʰ-to lie

Words derived from “law”

  • lawsuit
  • lawgiver
  • lawmaking
  • lawbreaking
  • lawbreaker
  • lawlike
  • lawgiving
  • prelaw
  • lawbook
  • powerlaw
  • lawing
  • scofflaw
  • cyberlaw
  • nonlaw
  • lawspeaker
  • unlawlike
  • sublaw
  • metalaw
  • Eurolaw
  • prelawsuit
  • lawmonger
  • BigLaw
  • lawe
  • lawbot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- →