Etymograph

English

statute

Statute comes from Late Latin statutum ‘a statute’, from Latin statutus ‘established’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws ‘to stand (up)’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws1‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status1‘position, place’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatus2‘position’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō3‘to set up, establish’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatutus3‘established’past participle of statuō
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEstatutum3‘a statute’neuter singular of statutus
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400statut3
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500statut3
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1958statute3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin status
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin statuo
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English statute
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1958, 'Borderer', Ten Years of British Railways: “Despite criticisms which were made of the Railway Executive,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téwsWiktionary, Latin status‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statusWiktionary, Latin status‘position, place’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatusWiktionary, Latin statuo‘position’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuōWiktionary, English statute‘to set up, establish’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatutusWiktionary, English statute‘established’past participle of statuō
  6. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEstatutumWiktionary, English statute‘a statute’neuter singular of statutus
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400statutWiktionary, English statute
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500statutWiktionary, English statute
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1958statuteWiktionary, English statute. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1958, 'Borderer', Ten Years of British Railways: “Despite criticisms which were made of the Railway Executive,…”

Linked words

through Latin status ‘position’

state, stade, estado, 7 more

through Latin statuō ‘to set up, establish’

institute, constitution, institution, substitute, constituent, prostitution, constitute, substitution, prostitute, restitution, destitute, destitution, 6 more

Today it means

noun A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “statute”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin status, Latin statuo. 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 *stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws / statute

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