English word legal comes from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”), which ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *leǵ- (to lie) and its causative form *logʰeye- (to lie down), which started signifying law in the sense of something lied down
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *leǵ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to collect, to speak, to leak |
| *leǵ-s | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *lēg- | Proto-Italic (itc-pro) | |
| legis | Latin (lat) | |
| legalis | Latin (lat) | Law (attributive). Legal. |
| legal | English (en) | (informal) Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.. Being allowed or prescribed by law.. Having its basis in the law.. Relating to the law or to lawyers. (countable) A spy who is attached to, and ostensibly employed by, an embassy, military outpost, etc.. (uncountable, US, Canada) Paper in sheets 8½ in × 14 in (215.9 mm × 355.6 mm).. (uncountable, informal) The legal department [...] |