'bailiwick' originates from English, specifically a compound from 'baili' (from 'bailiff') and 'wick' (Old English 'wīc'), where 'baili' referred to a bailiff or official and 'wīc' meant 'dwelling, village, or district'.

'bailiwick' developed in Middle English from elements borrowed from Old French/Anglo-Norman for 'bailiff' combined with Old English 'wīc'; forms such as 'bailiwik' or 'bailiwic' appear in earlier records and eventually became modern 'bailiwick'.

Initially it meant 'the district or jurisdiction of a bailiff', but over time it broadened to mean any person's area of responsibility or expertise.