Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “intelligence” come from?

intelligence (Old French) comes from Latin intelligentia, from Latin intelligēns, from Latin intellegō, from Latin legō, from Latin lēx, from Proto-Italic lēg-, from Proto-Indo-European leǵ-s, from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- — to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

intelligence (Old French): comprehension; meaning; ability to comprehend

Definitions

  1. comprehension; meaning; ability to comprehend

Ancestry of “intelligence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinintelligentiaAlternative form of intellegentia
2Latinintelligēns—
3Latinintellegō—
4Latinlegō—
5Latinlēx—
6Proto-Italiclēg-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Words derived from “intelligence”

  • intelligence
  • counterintelligence
  • intelligencer
  • unintelligence
  • superintelligence
  • intelligential
  • intelligencing
  • nonintelligence
  • misintelligence
  • hyperintelligence
  • extelligence
  • cyberintelligence
  • intelligencelike
  • counter-intelligence
  • social media intelligence
  • intelligentially
  • intelligence
  • intelligentie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →