Online Etymology Dictionary

rule (n.): c. 1200, "principle or maxim governing conduct, formula to which conduct must be conformed" from Old French riule, Norman reule "rule, custom, (religious) order" (in Modern French partially re-Latinized as règle), from Vulgar Latin *regula, from Latin regula "straight stick, bar, ruler;" figuratively "a pattern, a model," related to regere "to rule, straighten, guide" (see regal). Replaced Old English wealdan.

Meaning "regulation governing play of a game, etc." is from 1690s. Phrase rule of thumb first attested 1690s. Rule of law "supremacy of impartial and well-defined laws to any individual's power" is from 1883. Meaning "strip used for making straight lines or measuring" is recorded from mid-14c. Typography sense is attested from 1680s.
rule (v.): c. 1200, "to control, guide, direct," from Old French riuler "impose rule," from Latin regulare (see regulate). Legal sense "establish by decision" is recorded from early 15c. Meaning "mark with lines" is from 1590s. Meaning "to dominate, prevail" is from 1874. "Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740. Related: Ruled; ruling.
slide-rule (n.): also slide rule, mathematical calculating tool, 1838, from slide (v.) + rule (n.). So called for its method of operation. Earlier sliding-rule (1660s).
home rule (n.): 1860, originally in reference to Ireland, from home (n.) + rule (n.).
ruler (n.): "one who rules," late 14c., agent noun from rule (v.). Meaning "instrument used for making straight lines" is c. 1400 (compare rule (n.)).
ruling (n.): "determination by a judge or court on a point arising in the course of a trial or hearing," 1550s, verbal noun from rule (v.).
ruly (adj.): "conforming to (religious) rule; amenable to rule, disciplined, orderly," reuleli; from rule (n.) + -ly (2).
misrule (v.): late 14c., from mis- (1) + rule (v.). Related: Misruled; misruling.
overrule (v.): "rule against; set aside, as by a higher authority," 1590s, from over- + rule (v.). It was used earlier in a sense "to govern, control" (1570s). Related: Overruled; overruling.
misrule (n.): late 14c., "bad government of a state;" see mis- (1) + rule (n.). Meaning "disorderly conduct or living" is from c. 1400, obsolete except in Lord of Misrule, one chosen to preside over Christmas games in a great house (late 15c.).
gag (n.1): "something thrust into the mouth or throat to prevent speaking," 1550s, from gag (v.); figurative use, "violent or authoritative repression of speech," is from 1620s. Gag-law in reference to curbs on freedom of the press is from 1798, American English. The gag-rule that blocked anti-slavery petitions in the U.S. House of Representatives was in force from 1836 to 1844.
lesbian (adj.): 1590s, "pertaining to the island of Lesbos," from Latin Lesbius, from Greek lesbios "of Lesbos," Greek island in northeastern Aegean Sea (the name originally may have meant "wooded"), home of Sappho, great lyric poet whose erotic and romantic verse embraced women as well as men, hence meaning "relating to homosexual relations between women, characterized by erotic interest in other women" (1890; the noun lesbianism from this sense is attested from 1870) and the noun, which is first recorded 1925.

Sappho's particular association with erotic love between women dates to at least 1825 in writing in English, though lesbian and other the modern words formed from it are later. Before this, the principal figurative use of Lesbian was lesbian rule (c. 1600 and especially common in 17c.) a mason's rule of lead, of a type used in ancient times on Lesbos, which could be bent to fit the curves of a molding; hence, figuratively, "pliant morality or judgment."
And this is the nature of the equitable, a correction of law where it is defective owing to its universality. ... For when the thing is indefinite the rule also is indefinite, like the leaden rule used in making the Lesbian moulding; the rule adapts itself to the shape of the stone and is not rigid, and so too the decree is adapted to the facts. [Aristotle, "Nicomachean Ethics"]
It also was used in English from 1775 in reference to wines from Lesbos. Though the specific "pertaining to female homosexuality" is recent, Lesbian had long before that a suggestion of "amatory, erotic," "From the reputed character of the inhabitants and the tone of their poetry" [Century Dictionary]. The island's erotic reputation was ancient; Greek had a verb lesbiazein "to imitate the Lesbians," which implied "sexual initiative and shamelessness" among women (especially fellatio), but not necessarily female homosexuality, and they did not differentiate such things the way we have.
roost (n.): late Old English hrost "wooden framework of a roof, perch for domestic fowl," from Proto-Germanic *hro(d)-st- (source also of Old Saxon hrost "framework of a roof, attic," Middle Dutch, Flemish, Dutch roest "roost," Old Norse hrot, Gothic hrot "roof," of unknown origin. Exact relationship and ulterior connections unknown. Extended sense "hen-house" is from 1580s. To rule the roost is recorded from 1769.
exception (n.): late 14c., from Anglo-French excepcioun, Old French excepcion, from Latin exceptionem (nominative exceptio) "an exception, restriction, limitation; an objection," noun of action from past participle stem of excipere "to take out" (see except).

The exception that proves the rule is from law: exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis, "the exception proves the rule in cases not excepted;" exception here being "action of excepting" someone or something from the rule in question, not the person or thing that is excepted. The figure of speech in to take exception is from excipere being used in Roman law as a modern attorney would say objection.
divide (v.): early 14c., from Latin dividere "to force apart, cleave, distribute," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + -videre "to separate," from PIE root *weidh- "to separate" (see widow; also see with).

Mathematical sense is from early 15c. Divide and rule (c. 1600) translates Latin divide et impera, a maxim of Machiavelli. Related: Divided; dividing.
general (adj.): c. 1200, "of wide application, generic, affecting or involving all" (as opposed to special or specific), from Old French general (12c.) and directly from Latin generalis "relating to all, of a whole class, generic" (contrasted with specialis), from genus (genitive generis) "stock, kind" (see genus).
What is common is of frequent occurrence.
What is general admits of comparatively few exceptions: the general opinion (the opinion of the majority); the general welfare.
[J.H.A. Günther, "English Synonyms Explained & Illustrated," Groningen, Netherlands, 1904]
Used in forming titles from late 14c. with the sense "having general authority or jurisdiction, chief." Phrase in general "without exception, in one body; as a rule, generally, not specifically" is from late 14c. General rule, one applying to an art or science as a whole, is from c. 1400. General store attested by 1810, American English, in reference to the range of goods sold; a general hospital (1737) is one not restricted to one class of persons or type of disease.
ground (n.): Old English grund "bottom; foundation; surface of the earth," also "abyss, Hell," and "bottom of the sea" (a sense preserved in run aground), from Proto-Germanic *grundus, which seems to have meant "deep place" (source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish grund, Dutch grond, Old High German grunt, German Grund "ground, soil, bottom;" Old Norse grunn "a shallow place," grund "field, plain," grunnr "bottom"). No known cognates outside Germanic.

Sense of "reason, motive" first attested c. 1200. Meaning "source, origin, cause" is from c. 1400. Electrical sense "connection with the earth" is from 1870 (in telegraphy). Meaning "place where one takes position" is from 1610s; hence stand (one's) ground (1707). To run to ground in fox-hunting is from 1779. Ground rule (1890) originally was a rule designed for a specific playing field (ground or grounds in this sense attested by 1718); by 1953 it had come to mean "a basic rule."
Queensberry Rules: drawn up 1867 by Sir John Sholto Douglas (1844-1900), 8th Marquis of Queensberry, to govern the sport of boxing in Great Britain.
carpenter (n.): "wood-worker," c. 1300 (attested from early 12c. as a surname), from Anglo-French carpenter, Old North French carpentier (Old French and Modern French charpentier), from Late Latin (artifex) carpentarius "wagon (maker)," from Latin carpentum "wagon, two-wheeled carriage, cart," from Gaulish, from Old Celtic *carpentom (compare Old Irish carpat, Gaelic carbad "carriage"), probably related to Gaulish karros (see car).

Also from the Late Latin word are Spanish carpintero, Italian carpentiero. Replaced Old English treowwyrhta, literally "tree-wright." German Zimmermann "carpenter" is from Old High German zimbarman, from zimbar "wood for building, timber," cognate with Old Norse timbr (see timber). First record of carpenter bee is from 1844. A carpenter's rule (1690s) is foldable, suitable for carrying in the pocket.
golden (adj.): c. 1300, "made of gold," from gold (n.) + -en (2); replacing Middle English gilden, from Old English gyldan. Gold is one of the few Modern English nouns that form adjectives meaning "made of ______" by adding -en (as in wooden, leaden, waxen, olden); those that survive often do so in specialized senses. Old English also had silfren "made of silver," stænen "made of stone," etc.

From late 14c. as "of the color of gold." Figurative sense of "excellent, precious, best, most valuable" is from late 14c.; that of "favorable, auspicious" is from c. 1600. Golden mean "avoidance of excess" translates Latin aurea mediocritas (Horace). Golden age "period of past perfection" is from 1550s, from a concept found in Greek and Latin writers; in sense of "old age" it is recorded from 1961. San Francisco Bay's entrance channel was called the Golden Gate by John C. Fremont (1866). The moralistic golden rule earlier was the golden law (1670s).
Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them [Matthew vii.12]

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same. [George Bernard Shaw, 1898]
hetaerocracy (n.): "rule of courtesans," 1859, from hetaera + -cracy.
Raj (n.): British rule in India, 1859, from Hindi raj "rule, dominion, kingdom" (see rajah).
androcracy (n.): "rule or supremacy of men," 1883; see andro- + -cracy. Related: Androcratic.
emirate (n.): "rule or territory of an emir," 1847; see emir + -ate (1).
normative (adj.): 1880, perhaps from French normatif, from Latin norma "rule" (see normal).
reign (v.): "to hold or exercise sovereign power," late 13c., from Old French regner "rule, reign" (12c.), from Latin regnare "have royal power, be king, rule, reign," from regnum "kingship, dominion, rule, realm," related to regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal). Related: Reigned; reigning; regnal.
mobocracy (n.): "mob rule," 1754, a hybrid from mob (n.) + -cracy. Related: Mobocrat; mobocratic.
canon (n.2): "clergyman," c. 1200, from Anglo-French canun, from Old North French canonie (Modern French chanoine), from Church Latin canonicus "clergyman living under a rule," noun use of Latin adjective canonicus "according to rule" (in ecclesiastical use, "pertaining to the canon"), from Greek kanonikos, from kanon "rule" (see canon (n.1)).
regulate (v.): early 15c., "adjust by rule, control," from Late Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare "to control by rule, direct," from Latin regula "rule" (see regular). Meaning "to govern by restriction" is from 1620s. Related: Regulated; regulating.
reign (n.): early 13c., "kingdom," from Old French reigne "kingdom, land, country" (Modern French règne), from Latin regnum "kingship, dominion, rule, realm," related to regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal). Meaning "period of rule" first recorded mid-14c.
archon (n.): one of the nine chief magistrates of ancient Athens, 1650s, from Greek arkhon "ruler," noun use of present participle of arkhein "to rule," from PIE *arkhein- "to begin, rule, command," a "Gk. verb of unknown origin, but showing archaic Indo-European features ... with derivatives arkhe, 'rule, beginning,' and arkhos, 'ruler' " [Watkins].
monarchy (n.): "state ruled by monarchical government," mid-14c.; "rule by one person," late 14c.; from Old French monarchie "sovereignty, absolute power" (13c.), from Late Latin monarchia, from Greek monarkhia "absolute rule," literally "ruling of one," from monos "alone" (see mono-) + arkhein "to rule" (see archon).
autocracy (n.): 1650s, "independent power, self-sustained power," from French autocratie, from Greek autokrateia "absolute rule, rule by oneself," abstract noun from autokrates "ruling by oneself," from autos- "self" (see auto-) + kratia "rule" (see -cracy). Meaning "absolute government, supreme political power" is recorded from 1855.
wield (v.): Old English weldan (Mercian), wieldan, wealdan (West Saxon) "have power over, compel, tame, subdue" (class VII strong verb; past tense weold, past participle gewealden), merged with weak verb wyldan, both from Proto-Germanic *waldan "to rule" (source also of Old Saxon and Gothic waldan, Old Frisian walda "to govern, rule," Old Norse valda "to rule, wield, to cause," Old High German waltan, German walten "to rule, govern").

The Germanic words and cognates in Balto-Slavic (Old Church Slavonic vlado "to rule," vlasti "power," Russian vladeti "to reign, rule, possess, make use of," Lithuanian veldu "to rule, possess") probably are from PIE *woldh-, extended form of root *wal- "to be strong, to rule" (see valiant). Related: Wielded; wielding.
domineer (v.): 1580s, from Dutch domineren "to rule" (16c.), from Middle French dominer, from Latin dominari "to rule, 'lord' it over" (see domination). Shakespeare's usage is not the earliest in English. Related: Domineering.
-archy: word-forming element meaning "rule," from Latin -archia, from Greek -arkhia "rule," from arkhos "leader, chief, ruler," from arkhe "beginning, origin, first place" (see archon).
gerontocracy (n.): "rule by old men," 1830, a Latinized compound of Greek stem of geron (genitive gerontos) "old man" (see gerontology) + kratia "rule" (see -cracy). Related: Gerontocratic.
tyrannize (v.): "rule despotically or cruelly; rule tyrannically," late 15c., from Middle French tyranniser (14c.), from tyrannie (see tyranny). Greek tyrannizein meant "to take the part of tyrants" in politics. Related: Tyrannized; tyrannizing.
Han: Chinese dynasty, 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E., its rule was marked by prosperity, military success, and the introduction of Buddhism.
unruly (adj.): "disposed to resist lawful restraint," c. 1400, from un- (1) "not" + obsolete ruly (adj.) "amenable to rule." Related: Unruliness.
Parnellite (n.): in Irish history, 1881, adherent of the Irish Home Rule policy of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) + -ite (1).
regiment (n.): late 14c., "government, rule, control," from Old French regiment "government, rule" (14c.), from Late Latin regimentum "rule, direction," from Latin regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal). Meaning "unit of an army" first recorded 1570s (originally the reference was to permanent organization and discipline), from French. The exact number in the unit varies over time and place.
arithmocracy (n.): "rule by numerical majority," 1850, from Greek arithmos "number, counting, amount" (see arithmetic) + -cracy. Related: Arithmocratic; arithmocratical.
colonialism (n.): 1853, "ways or speech of colonial persons," from colonial + -ism. Meaning "the system of colonial rule" is from 1886.
kleptocracy (n.): "rule by a class of thieves," 1819, originally in reference to Spain; see kleptomania + -cracy.
Mau Mau (n.): African secret society devoted to ending European rule, 1950, from the Kikuyu language of Kenya.
polysyllable (n.): 1560s; see poly- + syllable. As a rule, a word of more than three syllables.
absoluteness (n.): 1560s, "perfection," a sense now obsolete, from absolute (adj.) + -ness. Meaning "unlimited rule" is from 1610s; that of "unconditional quality" is from 1650s.
regime (n.): "system of government or rule," 1792, from French régime, from Old French regimen (14c.), from Latin regimen "rule, guidance, government, means of guidance, rudder," from regere (see regal). Earlier "course of diet, exercise," late 15c. In French, l'ancien régime refers to the system of government before the revolution of 1789.
regimen (n.): c. 1400, medical, "course of diet, exercise, etc. for sake of health;" mid-15c., "act of governing," from Old French regimen (14c.), from Latin regimen "rule, guidance, government, means of guidance, rudder," from regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (see regal).