English
excelsior
Excelsior comes from Latin excelsus ‘high’, from excellō ‘elevate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelH- ‘to rise’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelH-‘to rise’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*kelnō‘to rise’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcellō‘elevate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcelsus‘high’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcelsiorcomparative of excelsus
- Englishearliest quotation 1851same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelH-‘to rise’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*kelnō‘to rise’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcellō‘elevate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcelsus‘high’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexcelsiorcomparative of excelsus
- Englishearliest quotation 1851same form
Earliest quotation: 1851, The Knickerbacker: “... and when the shout 'Excelsior!' echoed, up the…”
The story
The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark. As an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Excelsior (1841), based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kelH- ‘to rise’
hill, column, colonel, hale, culmination, holm, culminate, colonnade, columella, 8 more
through Latin excellō ‘elevate’
Today it means
adj Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kelH- / excelsior