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
- Written law, as laid down by the legislature;...
Ancestry of “statute”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | statut | — |
| 2 | Old French | statut | Alternative form of estatut |
| 3 | Latin | statūtum | — |
| 4 | Latin | statūtus | established |
| 5 | Latin | statuo | I set up, station; I establish, determine, fix; I... |
| 6 | Latin | stātus | fixed, set, having been set |
| 7 | Latin | stō | to stand |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |