Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “choose” come from?

Choose comes from Middle English chosen, from Old English ċēosan, from Proto-Germanic keusaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵews-.

choose (English): To pick; to make the choice of; to select; To...

Definitions

  1. To pick; to make the choice of; to select; To...

Ancestry of “choose”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishchose—
2Middle Englishchosenchosen; to choose
3Old Englishċēosanto choose, seek out, select, elect, decide, test,...
4Proto-West Germanickeusanto choose
5Proto-Germanickeusanąto test, to try; to choose
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵews-to taste, try

Words derived from “choose”

  • choosy
  • chooseth
  • choosest
  • choosiness
  • rechosen
  • rechoose
  • unchoose
  • chooseable
  • choosily
  • choosability
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵews- →