land-law
[In sense 1 repr. OE. landlaᵹu, f. land land n.1 + laᵹu law n.1; otherwise a modern formation. Cf. ON. lands lǫg.]
1. (Also † land's law.) The law of a land or country; the ‘law of the land’.
| c 1000 Rect. Sing. Pers. c. 4 in Schmid Gesetze 376 Ðeos landlaᵹu stænt on suman lande. Ibid. c. 21 ibid. 382 Landlaᵹa syn mistlice, swa ic ær..sæde. a 1300 Cursor M. 12095 Þat he yu ne luue mare þan lands lau. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 132 To stryue and plede for worldly possessions by londis lawe. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxviii, ‘It's the fashion here for decent bodies, and ilka land has its ain land-law’. |
2. Law, or a law, relating to land considered as property.
| 1878 N. Amer. Rev. CXXVII. 253 The land-laws of that country. 1894 Daily News 20 Apr. 4/7 Mr. John Stuart Mill pointed out that the English land law system was peculiar, and even was alone, among the land law systems of Europe. 1894 F. N. Thorpe Govt. U.S. 9 Land-laws originate in the use of the land for grazing. |