(bīˈlôˌ)
noun- A law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization.
- A secondary law.
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
bǽr, bœr, bȳr, 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.”
