bylaw

Meaning

1. A local custom or law of a settlement or district.
2. (in-plural, often) A rule made by a local authority to regulate its own affairs.
3. (countable, in-plural, often, singular) A rule made by a local authority to regulate its own affairs.
4. A law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization (e.g., corporation or business).

Synonyms

by-law

house rules

articles of association

command

instruction

law

order

prescript

prescription

regulation

rule

standing orders

statute

arrangment

local code

adjustment

local code and regulation

arrangement

Translations

estatuto

regulamento

Ortsstatut

reglamento

κανονισμός

talimatname

verordening

règlement

estatuto

von Rechts wegen

Verordnung

Statut

Instruktion

Vorschrift

reglament

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbaɪ.lɔː/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bylawe

Inherited from Old English: bīlage

Inherited from Middle English: byrelawe

Cognate with Danish: bylov

Cognate with Swedish: bylag

In summary

From Middle English bylawe, bilawe, partly from Old English bīlage (“bylaw”) and partly from a variant of Middle English byrelawe, birlawe, from Old Norse býjar (“town's; settlement's”) + lǫg (“laws; jurisdiction”). Byrlaw is attested earlier in English but is unattested in Old Norse and the cognates in Scandinavian languages follow the development of bylaw: Danish bylov (“municipal law”), Swedish bylag and byalag.