English
rulebound
From rule + bound.
Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
…
Latin regō ‘to keep straight’
Latin regula ‘straight stick’
Old French riule
Middle English reule
English rule
Today it means
adj Bound by rules; rigidly uncompromising.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “rulebound”. 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 / rulebound