Home

zakon

Zakon is a term used in several Slavic languages to denote law, a statute, or a set of rules. In Czech and Slovak, the noun zákon literally means law as in a codified statute enacted by the state. In Serbo-Croatian languages (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin) the form zakon also means law and is used for statutes, regulations, and legal codes. The word can also have a broader sense of normative rules governing behavior, and in historical or religious contexts it may appear in discussions of canonical or ecclesiastical rules. Across languages, zakon is a cognate that generally maps to the broader concept of law rather than to a single national legal system.

Etymology: Zakon is derived from Proto-Slavic roots linked to order, restriction, or prohibition, with cognates appearing

Usage: The term appears in legal texts, academic writing, and media when discussing laws in Czech, Slovak,

See also: Law; Legal code; Canon law; Legal system.

across
Slavic
languages.
The
diacritic
form
zákon
in
Czech
and
Slovak
reflects
phonological
development;
in
contexts
without
diacritics
it
is
written
as
zakon.
Serbian,
Croatian,
Bosnian,
and
related
languages.
It
is
also
encountered
in
comparative-law
discussions
when
translating
the
concept
of
“law”
into
Slavic
languages.
As
a
general
term,
it
should
not
be
confused
with
proper
names
or
titles
that
may
resemble
the
same
spelling
in
different
languages.