Middle English lawe / laue stabilizes as law while later English vowel history produces the modern pronunciation.
CANONICAL RELATIONSHIP RECORD
COVERAGE LEDGER ↗EDGE / 0464historical continuationestablished
A CLAIM
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A relationship—not a generated explanation. Both endpoints, every editorial field, every citation, and every dossier reuse are preserved below.
law
binding rule, body of rules, or regular principle
OPEN NODE 497 ↗DESCENDS FROM→
PARENT / EARLIER FORM / attestedMiddle English · Middle English · binding rulelawe / laue
law, ordinance, or body of rules
OPEN NODE 498 ↗01
THE COMPLETE RELATIONSHIP
EVERY FIELD, NOT A FAIRY TALE
The inherited legal-rule sense expands to bodies of law, professions, and regular principles in science.
Modern spelling postdates the source-reported Old and Middle English forms.
Merriam-Webster · Etymonline editors
established — no additional confidence note is attached.
reviewed
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CITATION REGISTER
SOURCES ON THIS EDGE
Law — Word HistoryWord History: Middle English from Old English lagu; First Known Use
supportsAUDIT SOURCE ↗ORIGINAL ↗Documents the inherited English headword, Scandinavian source, and early horizon.
Law — Origin and historyHeadword history and later senses
supportsAUDIT SOURCE ↗ORIGINAL ↗Documents Middle English laue and the expansion into physical, legal, and institutional senses.
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EDITORIAL REUSE