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
- Steady application; industry; careful work...
Ancestry of “diligence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | diligence | diligence, conscientiousness; haste; stage-coach,... |
| 2 | Latin | diligentia | nominative neuter plural of dīligēns; accusative... |
| 3 | Latin | dīligēns | diligent, careful, attentive |
| 4 | Latin | dīligō | to esteem, prize, love, have regard, to delight in (something) |
| 5 | Latin | legō | to collect, gather, bring together, catch |
| 6 | Latin | lēx | a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | lēg- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ-s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |