English
select
Select comes, uncertainly, from Latin sēlēctus, perfect passive participle of sēligō ‘to choose out’ (sē- + legō).
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘to gather, select’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēligō‘to choose out, select’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēlēctus‘chosen out’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1849–1861select
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElegō‘to gather, select’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēligō‘to choose out, select’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēlēctus‘chosen out’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1849–1861select
Earliest quotation: 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, London: Longman: “A few select spirits had separated from the crowd,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning…’
technology, logic, apology, catalogue, trilogy, sociology, collect, analogy, terminology, physiology, pathology, logos, astrology, monologue, prologue, pathologist, epilogue, archaeologist, logistic, eulogy, leach, cosmology, etymology, epistemology, lexicon, entomology, homologous, lexical, gynecologist, etiology, lignite, lignin, apologia, alexia, bacteriology, lexis, dialectical, dialectic, syllogism, bacteriologist, 153 more
through Proto-Italic *legō
intelligence, intelligent, intellectual, ineligible, legionnaire, legionella, legionary, 19 more
through Latin legō ‘gather, select’
college, collection, election, lesson, legend, elite, legacy, eligible, colleague, collective, coil, negligence, legion, delegation, elegant, lecture, collector, negligent, delegate, collegiate, diligent, negligible, cull, legible, legation, legate, collegium, elector, ineligibility, lectern, lector, 25 more
Today it means
adj Privileged, specially selected.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin legō / select