English
lawlessness
Lawlessness comes from Middle English laweles ‘not following the law or discipline’, from lawe ‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagą‘situation’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lag‘stratum, layer’
- Old Norse, derivedc. 800–1350lǫg‘fate’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lagu‘law’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lawe‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a general truth’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500laweles‘not following the law or discipline’
- English1500–presentlawless
- Englishearliest quotation 2009lawlessness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*legʰ-‘to lie’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lagą‘situation’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350lag‘stratum, layer’
- Old Norse, derivedc. 800–1350lǫg‘fate’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lagu‘law’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lawe‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a general truth’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500laweles‘not following the law or discipline’
- English1500–presentlawless
- Englishearliest quotation 2009lawlessness
Earliest quotation: 2009, Jennifer 8. Lee, Corruption Found at Waterfront Watchdog: “The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, created in…”
A compound of lawless + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
…
Old Norse lǫg ‘fate’
Old English lagu ‘law’
Middle English lawe ‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a…’
Middle English laweles ‘not following the law or discipline’
English lawless
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie’
low, college, legal, lie, fellow, layer, loyal, legacy, colleague, delegation, litter, delegate, ledger, collegiate, lex, ledge, lair, lees, lig, legate, leaguer, leal, collegium, underlay, lias, 22 more
through Proto-Germanic *lagą ‘situation’
through Old Norse lǫg ‘fate’
through Middle English lawe ‘a snide or pithy axiom or statement of a…’
Today it means
noun A lack of law; a lack of law and order; anarchy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- / lawlessness