English
law
Law comes from Old English lagu ‘law’, borrowed from Old Norse lǫg ‘law’ (plural of lag ‘layer’), and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-1‘to lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagą1‘that which is laid down’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lag1‘layer, stratum, a laying in order’
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lǫg1‘law’literally ‘things laid down or firmly established’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lagu1‘law’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lawe1‘law’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793law1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English law
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1793, Richard Wooddeson, A Systematical View of the Laws of England: “As to the depriving the defendant of waging his…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-Wiktionary, English law‘to lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagąWiktionary, English law‘that which is laid down’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lagWiktionary, English law‘layer, stratum, a laying in order’
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lǫgWiktionary, English law‘law’literally ‘things laid down or firmly established’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150laguWiktionary, English law‘law’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500laweWiktionary, English law‘law’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793lawWiktionary, English law. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1793, Richard Wooddeson, A Systematical View of the Laws of England: “As to the depriving the defendant of waging his…”
The story
From Middle English lawe, laȝe, from Old English lagu (‘law’), borrowed from Old Norse lǫg (“law”, literally “things laid down or firmly established”), originally the plural of lag (‘layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke’), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (‘that which is laid down’), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (‘to lie’). Not related to legal, nor to French loi, Spanish ley, all of which ultimately derive from Latin lēx, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (‘to gather’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
low, college, legal, lie, fellow, legacy, loyal, layer, colleague, delegation, litter, delegate, lex, ledger, collegiate, ledge, lees, lair, legate, leaguer, lig, leal, collegium, lias, underlay, 21 more
through Proto-Germanic *lagą ‘that which is laid down’
through Old Norse lǫg
through Old English lagu
through Middle English lawe ‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a…’
Today it means
noun The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “law”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / law