Sporting Vernacular: Laws, Rules, Regulations

Mark Roe will probably not be remotely interested but before 1200, a riwle was a principle governing conduct. It was a borrowing from the Old French riule or reule, which in turn came from the Latin regula - a straight stick, bar, ruler - which was related to regere, to rule, straighten or guide.

Mark Roe will probably not be remotely interested but before 1200, a riwle was a principle governing conduct. It was a borrowing from the Old French riule or reule, which in turn came from the Latin regula - a straight stick, bar, ruler - which was related to regere, to rule, straighten or guide.

The noun "regulation" was first cited in 1672, denoting the act of regulating. Slightly later, but before 1715, it also took on the modern sense of a rule or law. "Regulate" was first cited in Chauliac's Grande Chirurgie, a borrowing from regula.

Lawe was first seen around 1200, from the Old English lagu. It was borrowed from a Scandinavian source, stemming from the idea of something laid down.