Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Elite” come from?

Elite (German) comes from French élite, from French élit, from Old French eslit, from Old French elire, from Latin eligere, from Latin eligo, from Latin e-, from Latin ex- — whale, sea monster; abyss.

Elite (German): elite

Definitions

  1. elite

Ancestry of “Elite”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchéliteelite
2Frenchélitthird-person singular present indicative of...
3Old Frencheslitchosen, elected
4Old Frenchelire—
5Latineligeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
6LatineligoI choose, I pluck or root out, extract; I pick...
7Latine-Alternative form of ex-; out of; out, utterly
8Latinex-out, away; throughout; thoroughly
9LatineThe name of the letter "E"; out of, from
10LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
11Latincommūnicō—
12Latincommūnis—
13Old Latincom(m)oinis—
14Proto-Italickommoinis—
15Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
16Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
17Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
18Middle Englishkyt—
19Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
20Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
21Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss

Words derived from “Elite”

  • elit
  • elita
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →