Etymology

legal

le·gal
L1E1G2A1L1

Today it means: Relating to the law or to lawyers. Full definition →

Latin lēgāli ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Proto-Italic *lēks
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legal · adjective, noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*lḗǵs?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*legʰ-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*lḗgʰs?
  5. Proto-Italic*lēks
  6. Latinlex
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  9. Latinlēgāli
  10. English todaylegal

Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal.

Legal · proper noun2

Named in honour of Bishop Émile-Joseph Legal.

Words from the same roots

Latinlēgālis all →

loyalleal

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.