Where does “legally” come from?
Legally derives from English legal, from Latin legalis, combining Latin lex meaning law with the Latin suffix -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- meaning to gather or lay down.
legally (English): As permitted by law; not contrary to law; From a...
Definitions
- As permitted by law; not contrary to law; From a...
Ancestry of “legally”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | legal | Relating to the law or to lawyers; Having its... |
| 2 | Latin | lēgālis | legal |
| 3 | Latin | lēx | a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | lēg- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ-s | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |