Etymograph

English

counsel

Counsel comes from Old French conseil ‘piece of advice’, and goes back to Latin calō.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcalō
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilium‘counsel, advice’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400conseil‘piece of advice’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500counseil‘a church council’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1549counsel

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcalō
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilium‘counsel, advice’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400conseil‘piece of advice’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500counseil‘a church council’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1549counsel

Earliest quotation: 1549, Thomas Cranmer et al., Collectes: “Bleſſed is that man that hath not walked in…”

Linked words

through Latin calō

reconcile, irreconcilable, conciliar, 10 more

through Latin cōnsilium ‘counsel, advice’

consigliere, 1 more

through Middle English counseil ‘a church council’

council

Another origin of counsel

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*selh₁-‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*suloreconstructed
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsulō‘to consult, seek counsel from, take counsel from’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilium‘counsel, advice’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsilior‘to consult, take counsel’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400conseiller
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500counseilen‘to advise or instruct’
  8. Englishtodaycounsel

Today it means

noun The exchange of opinions and advice especially in legal issues; consultation.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin calō / counsel

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