Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “statute” come from?

Statute comes from Middle English statut, from Old French statut, from Late Latin statutum, from Latin statutus (past participle of statuo, meaning to set or establish), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- (to stand).

statute (English): Written law, as laid down by the legislature;...

Definitions

  1. Written law, as laid down by the legislature;...

Ancestry of “statute”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstatut—
2Old FrenchstatutAlternative form of estatut
3Latinstatūtum—
4Latinstatūtus—
5LatinstatuoI set up, station; I establish, determine, fix; I...
6Latinstātus—
7Latinstō—
8Proto-Italicstaēōstand
9Proto-Indo-Europeansth₂éh₁yeti—
10Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

Words derived from “statute”

  • statutory
  • statutorily
  • nonstatutory
  • statutable
  • statutably
  • unstatutable
  • substatute
  • extra-statutory
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →