Where does “elegant” come from?

elegant (Dutch) comes from Middle French elegant, from Latin ēlegāns, from Latin ēligere, from Latin ēligō, from Latin legō, from Latin lēx, from Proto-Italic lēg-, from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-s — to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

elegant (Dutch): elegant

Definitions

  1. elegant

Ancestry of “elegant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchelegantelegant
2Latinēlegānsfine, elegant, handsome
3Latinēligere
4Latinēligōto choose, to pluck or root out, extract
5Latinlegōto collect, gather, bring together, catch
6Latinlēxa proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill
7Proto-Italiclēg-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-sEvery word from Proto-Italic lēg-
elegant — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer