Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “brother-in-lawe” come from?

brother-in-lawe (Middle English) comes from Middle English lawe, from Old English lagu, from Old Norse lǫg, from Old Norse lág, from Old Norse leggja, from Proto-Germanic lagjaną, from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- — to lie.

brother-in-lawe (Middle English): The brother of one's spouse; The husband of one's...

Definitions

  1. The brother of one's spouse; The husband of one's...

Ancestry of “brother-in-lawe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishlaweA law, regulation, or a group of them; Morality,...
2Old Englishlagusea, water, lake; the runic character ᛚ; law,...
3Old Norselǫgfate; situation, the condition that one is given...
4Old Norselága felled tree; log; lying tree
5Old Norseleggjato lay, place, put; to make, build
6Proto-Germaniclagjanąto lay, to place in a resting position
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlegʰ-to lie

Words derived from “brother-in-lawe”

  • co-brother-in-law
  • brother-in-law
Every word from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- →