Where does “lawless” come from?
Lawless derives from Middle English laweles, formed from Middle English law and the suffix -les from Old English -lēas meaning "without," which comes from Old Norse lǫg meaning "law," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱel- and ḱley-.
lawless (English): Not governed by any law; Prohibited by law;...
Definitions
- Not governed by any law; Prohibited by law;...
Ancestry of “lawless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | laweles | Not following the law or discipline; unruly,... |
| 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 |