Where does “lawful” come from?
Lawful comes from Middle English laweful, combining Middle English law (from Old Norse lǫg) with Middle English -ful (from Old English -ful), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to lay or fill.
lawful (English): Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of...
Definitions
- Conforming to, or recognised by the laws of...
Ancestry of “lawful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | laweful | Lawful; allowed by the law or legal system;... |
| 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 |