Where does “electorate” come from?
Electorate comes from Latin electoratus, the noun form derived from Latin elector, one who chooses or selects, from Latin legere meaning to choose or read, with the prefix ex- meaning out.
electorate (English): The dominion of an Elector in the Holy Roman...
Definitions
- The dominion of an Elector in the Holy Roman...
Ancestry of “electorate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | elector | A person eligible to vote in an election; a... |
| 2 | Middle English | electour | one with a right to vote in electing some office,... |
| 3 | Latin | elector | chooser, selector; voter, elector |
| 4 | Latin | ēligō | to choose, to pluck or root out, extract |
| 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... |