outlaw

Where does the word "outlaw" come from? It comes from Old Norse utlagi, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Outlaw’s story begins in Old Norse: utlagi meant “one outside the law.” Literally one outside the law, from ut (out) and lagu (law). It reached English by 1200s as outlaw. Settled as the English word for a person excluded from legal protection. Today, outlaw means a person who has broken the law, especially one who evades capture.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval utlagi "one outside the law", literally one outside the law, from ut (out) and lagu (law).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s outlaw "a person who has broken the law and evades justice", settled as the English word for a person excluded from legal protection.