English Explanatory Dictionary

bylaw

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A local custom or law of a settlement or district.
  2. A rule made by a local authority to regulate its own affairs.
  3. A numbered provision within such kind of legislation.
  4. A law or rule governing the internal affairs of an organization (e.g., corporation or business).

Pronunciation

/ˈbaɪ.lɔː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bylaw.wav /ˈbaɪ.lɔ/ /ˈbaɪ.lɑ/

Word forms

bylaw bylaws by-law byelaw bye-law byrlaw birley birlie birlaw burlaw bourlaw

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

ordinance

Related words

bylaw officer

Translations

Catalan: ordenances Chinese Cantonese: 附例 Chinese Mandarin: 附例 Czech: vyhláška Finnish: ohjesääntö German: Gemeindeverordnung Irish: fodhlí Malay: undang-undang kecil Māori: pāero Polish: rozporządzenie władz lokalnych Scottish Gaelic: frith-lagh Scottish Gaelic: fo-lagh Spanish: ordenanza Turkish: belediye yönetmeliği Welsh: is-ddeddf
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