This Hebrew word derives from the root halak which means "to walk", "to proceed".
Halakhah, in the sense of “way” or “path”, defines that entire body of intellectual labour concerning law and regulation, albeit in a very broad sense.
Everything having to do with human behaviour in its manifold aspects and spheres is indeed encompassed within halakhah. Traditional Judaism is a system of life, as well as of thought and faith: every act and every action of the individual must be guided by that moral, social and human code which constitutes the complex whole of halakhah. Jewish law is not a synthetic system, but rather an analytical one: it examines every possible case and draws the necessary conclusions on a case-by-case basis. When a new situation arises, the closest and most appropriate precedents represent the basis for a new reflection and a new elaboration of halakhah. (…)
Source: "Gli ebrei questi sconosciuti" by Elena Loewenthal