Etymology Map
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Bylaw

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means a rule made by a local authority or an organization for its own members

Where does the word "bylaw" come from? It comes from Old Norse býlǫg, passing through Middle English before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
býlǫg
Old Norse · medieval
"village law"
from 'býr', village or farmstead, the same element found in English place-names ending in -by like Whitby and Derby
2
Stage 2 of 3
bilawe
Middle English · 1200s
"local custom or law"
used in the Danelaw for local rules set by a township
3
Stage 3 of 3
bylaw
English · 1600s
"a rule made by a local body or organization"
the 'by' was later reinterpreted as 'secondary' or 'side', shaping the modern sense of a subsidiary rule
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Read the full story

Bylaw’s story begins in Old Norse: býlǫg meant “village law.” From 'býr', village or farmstead, the same element found in English place-names ending in -by like Whitby and Derby. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as bilawe. Used in the Danelaw for local rules set by a township. It reached English by 1600s as bylaw. The 'by' was later reinterpreted as 'secondary' or 'side', shaping the modern sense of a subsidiary rule. Today, bylaw means a rule made by a local authority or an organization for its own members.