English
selection
Selection comes from Latin sēlēctiō ‘the act of choosing out’, from sēligō ‘to choose out’, from sē- ‘apart’ + legō ‘to gather, select’.
- 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‘gather’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēligō‘choose out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēlēctiō‘the act of choosing out’
- Englishearliest quotation 1859selection
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‘gather’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēligō‘choose out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēlēctiō‘the act of choosing out’
- Englishearliest quotation 1859selection
Earliest quotation: 1859, Charles Darwin, Natural Selection: “Slow though the process of selection may be, if…”
Formed from select + -ion
Latin legō ‘to gather, select’
Latin sēligō ‘to choose out, select’
Latin sēlēctus ‘chosen out’
English select
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather’
technology, logic, apology, catalogue, trilogy, collect, analogy, terminology, sociology, pathology, logos, physiology, astrology, prologue, pathologist, epilogue, archaeologist, monologue, leach, eulogy, cosmology, logistic, etymology, epistemology, entomology, lexical, homologous, lexicon, gynecologist, lignite, lignin, apologia, alexia, etiology, lexis, syllogism, dialectical, bacteriology, dialectic, bacteriologist, 153 more
through Proto-Italic *legō
intelligence, intelligent, intellectual, ineligible, elector, legionnaire, legionella, legionary, 19 more
through Latin legō ‘gather, select’
college, legend, elite, legacy, collection, lesson, eligible, colleague, collective, coil, negligence, lecture, elegant, collector, delegate, negligent, legion, collegiate, negligible, elect, diligent, delegation, cull, legible, legate, collegium, ineligibility, legation, lectern, lector, 26 more
Today it means
noun The process or act of selecting.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / selection