Where does “lawyer” come from?
Lawyer derives from Middle English lawer, from Middle English lawe, from Old English hlāw, from Old Norse lǫg, from Proto-Indo-European lakw-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-.
lawyer (English): A professional person qualified and authorized...
Definitions
- A professional person qualified and authorized...
Ancestry of “lawyer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lawiere | lawyer individual authorised to practice law |
| 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 |