English
legionary
Legionary comes from Latin legiōnārius ‘legionary, of or pertaining to a legion’, from legō ‘to choose’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léǵetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘to choose’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElegiō‘legion’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElegiōnārius‘legionary, of or pertaining to a legion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1959legionary
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léǵetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*legōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘to choose’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElegiō‘legion’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElegiōnārius‘legionary, of or pertaining to a legion’
- Englishearliest quotation 1959legionary
Earliest quotation: 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy): “Suddenly, [...] he saw all this as romantic —…”
Formed from legion + -ary
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’
…
Proto-Italic *legō
Latin legō ‘to gather, collect’
Latin legiō ‘a legion’
Old French legion
English legion
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’
technology, collect, logic, apology, catalogue, trilogy, terminology, sociology, pathology, analogy, logos, physiology, astrology, prologue, epilogue, monologue, leach, eulogy, pathologist, cosmology, logistic, etymology, epistemology, archaeologist, entomology, lexical, homologous, lexicon, gynecologist, dialectic, lignite, lignin, etiology, alexia, lexis, bacteriology, apologia, syllogism, bacteriologist, 155 more
through Proto-Italic *legō
intelligence, intelligent, intellectual, selection, ineligible, elector, 20 more
through Latin legō ‘to choose’
college, election, collection, elite, select, collective, lesson, legend, legacy, eligible, lecture, colleague, elect, collector, coil, elegant, negligence, delegate, delegation, diligent, negligent, collegiate, negligible, cull, lectern, legible, legate, lector, ineligibility, legation, collegium, 25 more
Today it means
noun A soldier belonging to a legion; a professional soldier of the ancient Roman army.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / legionary