English
cull
Cull comes from Old French cuillir ‘collect, gather, select’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to speak by carefully selecting one's words’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léǵetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘bring together, gather, collect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolligō‘gather together’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cuillir‘collect, gather, select’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cullen
- Englishearliest quotation 1832cull
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to speak by carefully selecting one's words’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léǵetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘bring together, gather, collect’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcolligō‘gather together’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cuillir‘collect, gather, select’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cullen
- Englishearliest quotation 1832cull
Earliest quotation: 1832, Eleanore: “[T]he yellowbanded bees, / Through half-open lattices / Coming…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning…’
technology, logic, collect, apology, catalogue, trilogy, sociology, analogy, terminology, physiology, pathology, logos, astrology, monologue, leach, prologue, pathologist, epilogue, archaeologist, logistic, lexicon, cosmology, lexical, etymology, epistemology, entomology, gynecologist, homologous, eulogy, dialectic, etiology, alexia, lignite, lexis, lignin, apologia, bacteriology, bacteriologist, syllogism, 152 more
through Proto-Italic *legō
selection, intelligence, intellectual, intelligent, ineligible, elector, legionnaire, legionella, legionary, 17 more
through Latin legō ‘bring together, gather, collect’
election, college, lesson, select, legend, elite, legacy, eligible, lecture, elect, elegant, delegation, legion, colleague, delegate, negligence, negligible, negligent, diligent, collegiate, legible, legation, legate, lectern, lector, ineligibility, collegium, 25 more
through Latin colligō ‘gather together’
Today it means
verb To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / cull