English
legionella
Legionella comes from Latin legio ‘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 CElegio‘a legion’
- Englishearliest quotation 2021legionella
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 CElegio‘a legion’
- Englishearliest quotation 2021legionella
Earliest quotation: 2021, RMT strike threat over legionella on Thameslink trains: “Thameslink Train Services Director Rob Mullen responded: "A very…”
Formed from legion + -mul:ella
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’
…
Proto-Italic *legō
Latin legō ‘to gather, collect’
Latin legiō ‘a legion’
Old French legion
English legion
The story
Constructed from American Legion, after an outbreak of a then-unknown "mystery disease" (Legionnaires' disease) at a convention of the American Legion in Philadelphia in 1976.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’
technology, logic, apology, collect, catalogue, trilogy, analogy, terminology, sociology, pathology, logos, physiology, astrology, prologue, epilogue, monologue, leach, pathologist, eulogy, archaeologist, cosmology, logistic, etymology, epistemology, lexical, entomology, lexicon, homologous, dialectic, gynecologist, etiology, lignite, lignin, alexia, lexis, bacteriology, apologia, bacteriologist, syllogism, 154 more
through Proto-Italic *legō
intelligence, selection, intelligent, intellectual, ineligible, elector, 19 more
through Latin legō ‘to choose’
college, election, collection, elite, lesson, select, legend, collective, legacy, lecture, eligible, coil, colleague, elect, collector, elegant, negligence, delegation, delegate, diligent, negligent, collegiate, negligible, cull, legible, lectern, legate, legation, lector, ineligibility, collegium, 24 more
through Latin legio ‘a legion’
Today it means
noun Bacteria of the genus Legionella.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / legionella