Etymologically
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celsus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word celsus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Livius Andronicus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*kelH-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkɛɫ.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃɛl.sus][1]

Forms

celsus (feminine celsa, neuter celsum, comparative celsior); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is the participle of an unattested verb *cellō “to rise”, found in excellō and antecellō, from Proto-Indo-European *kelH- (“to rise”), the root of collis “hill” and columen “top”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Livius Andronicus, of something tall.[2] Köbler dates Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant high, lofty, tall, as Horace's high towers, of people tall, and situated high up, as in Cato, also of a magistrate's chair or a horseman.[2][5] It meant upright, with the head held high, as in Ennius and Cicero's man created tall and erect, and so erect with pride, elated, confident.[2][5] It also meant high in rank, and high-minded, noble, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium.[2] As a cognomen it was borne by the medical writer Celsus.[2][3]

In Medieval Latin it also meant loud, and spiritually exalted.[6] Italian gelso “mulberry” is from it.[1] English excel and English excellent come from its compound excellere.[7]

Timeline

  • 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it of height.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of an upright posture.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a high position.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pride.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. High, lofty, tall.[2]
  2. Situated high up.[2]
  3. Upright, erect; proud, elated.[2]
  4. High in rank.[2]
  5. High-minded, noble.[2]

Word family

  • celsitūdō
  • praecelsus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Celsus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/celsus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·