English
council
Council comes from Middle English counseil ‘meeting, conference, commune’, from Old French conseil ‘advice, deliberation, thought’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁- ‘take, grab’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*selh₁-‘take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsulō‘consult’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilium‘plan’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conseil‘advice’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500counseil‘meeting’
- Englishearliest quotation 1715–1720council
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*selh₁-‘take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsulō‘consult’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilium‘plan’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400conseil‘advice’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500counseil‘meeting’
- Englishearliest quotation 1715–1720council
Earliest quotation: 1715–1720, Homer, Book IV: “O great in action and in council wise.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *selh₁- ‘take, grab’
through Latin cōnsulō ‘consult, seek counsel from, take counsel from,…’
through Latin cōnsilium ‘plan, intention, design, purpose’
through Middle English counseil ‘meeting, conference, commune’
Today it means
noun A committee that leads or governs (e.g. city council, student council).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *selh₁- / council