Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “diligence” come from?

Diligence comes from French diligence, from Latin diligentia, ultimately derived from Latin lego meaning "to choose or gather," with the suffix -ia forming abstract nouns.

diligence (English): Steady application; industry; careful work...

Definitions

  1. Steady application; industry; careful work...

Ancestry of “diligence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdiligencediligence, conscientiousness; haste; stage-coach,...
2Latindiligentianominative neuter plural of dīligēns; accusative...
3Latindīligēns—
4Latindīligō—
5Latinlegō—
6Latinlēx—
7Proto-Italiclēg-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Words derived from “diligence”

  • nondiligence
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →