Where does “lawyerese” come from?
lawyerese (English) comes from English lawyer, from Middle English lawiere, from Middle English lawe, from Old English lagu, from Old Norse lǫg, from Old Norse lág, from Old Norse leggja, from Proto-Germanic lagjaną — to lie.
lawyerese (English): The jargon used by lawyers
Definitions
- The jargon used by lawyers
Ancestry of “lawyerese”, step by step
lawyerese traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lawyer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lawyer | A professional person qualified and authorized... |
| 2 | Middle English | lawiere | lawyer individual authorised to practice law |
| 3 | Middle English | lawe | A law, regulation, or a group of them; Morality,... |
| 4 | Old English | lagu | sea, water, lake; the runic character ᛚ; law,... |
| 5 | Old Norse | lǫg | fate; situation, the condition that one is given... |
| 6 | Old Norse | lág | a felled tree; log; lying tree |
| 7 | Old Norse | leggja | to lay, place, put; to make, build |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lagjaną | to lay, to place in a resting position |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | legʰ- | to lie |