Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. The dominion of an Elector in the Holy Roman...

Ancestry of “electorate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishelectorA person eligible to vote in an election; a...
2Middle Englishelectourone with a right to vote in electing some office,...
3Latinelectorchooser, selector; voter, elector
4Latinēligō—
5Latinlegō—
6Latinlēx—
7Proto-Italiclēg-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →