'lawfully-backed' originates from the combination of 'lawfully' and 'backed', where 'lawfully' means 'in a manner conforming to the law' and 'backed' means 'supported or endorsed'.

'lawfully-backed' combines the Old English 'lagu' (law) and 'bacan' (to support), evolving into the modern English term.

Initially, it meant 'supported by law', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.