by·law (b  lô )n. 1. A law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization. 2. A secondary law. [Middle English bilawe, body of local regulations; akin to Danish by-lag, township ordinance : Old Norse b  r, settlement; see bheu - in Indo-European roots + Old Norse *lagu, law; see legh- in Indo-European roots.]Word History: A casual glance at the word bylaw might make one think that the element by- means "secondary, subsidiary," especially since bylaw can mean "a secondary law." It is possible that by-, as in byway, has influenced bylaw in the sense "secondary law"; however, bylaw existed long before the sense in question. The word is first recorded in 1283 with the meaning "a body of customs or regulations, as of a village, manor, religious organization, or sect." By- comes from Old Norse (as may the whole word bylaw) and is related to the element -by in the names of many places where Scandinavians settled when they invaded England during the early Middle Ages, such as Whitby. We get the sense of this -by if we compare the related Old Icelandic word variously spelled bær, b  r, br, meaning "a town or village" in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark and "a farm or landed estate" in Iceland. We thus see why bylaw would mean "a body of customs of a village or manor" and why we use the word to mean "a law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization." |
bylaw, bye-law [ˈbaɪˌlɔː]
n
1. (Law) a rule made by a local authority for the regulation of its affairs or management of the area it governs
2. (Law) a regulation of a company, society, etc.
3. (Law) a subsidiary law
[probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse bȳr dwelling, town; see bower1, law1]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|