Where does “rule” come from?
Rule comes from Middle English reule, from Old French reule, from Latin regula, ultimately from Latin rego meaning to direct or govern.
rule (English): A regulation, law, guideline; A regulating...
Definitions
- A regulation, law, guideline; A regulating...
Ancestry of “rule”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | reule | legal code, set of rules; moral code, principles;... |
| 2 | Old French | reule | rule; ruler; rule |
| 3 | Latin | rēgula | rule, bar |
| 4 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |