elegans

Forms

ēlegāns (genitive ēlegantis, comparative ēlegantior, superlative ēlegantissimus, adverb ēleganter); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] Some manuscripts spell it eligans.^[2]

Etymology

It is the participle of an unattested verb *ēlegāre (“to choose carefully”), related to ēligō (“to pick out, choose”).^[3][1] Wiktionary derives that verb from an intermediate noun *ēlegus (“chooser”), with the formation of occupō;^[1] Lewis & Short call it a by-form of the participle of ēligō, and Cicero already connected the word with choosing.^[2] The verb ēligō is ē- with legō (“to gather, choose”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *leg-e- and Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect”); cognate with Ancient Greek λέγω (légō, “to collect, count, speak”) and Albanian mbledh (“to collect”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,^[5] and the OLD takes a line of the Trinummus listing a man's vices, “liar, glutton, miser, elegans”, as the bad sense of luxurious;^[3][2] Lewis & Short doubt the reading, and the first sure example is Terence, “how fastidious he is!”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

In early Latin it was a term of reproach: Gellius notes that in Cato's time an elegans man was not praised but blamed, as one too choice and refined in his dress and way of life.^[2] Its first senses are careful in choosing, fastidious, and addicted to luxury.^[3][2]

In classical Latin it became a word of praise: refined and cultivated in taste, scrupulous in conduct, and of things tastefully attractive, as Cicero's more elegant bronze furniture.^[3][2] Of speakers and writers it means apt in the choice of words, polished, as Cicero's “a subtle and elegant writer”, and Vitruvius uses it of other arts, of a painter's skilful hand.^[3] Gellius applies it to exact learning and fine distinctions.^[3] Church Latin glosses it elegant, choice, graceful, beautiful.^[6] English borrowed elegant in the late 15th century.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, perhaps, in the bad sense of luxurious.^[3][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence of a fastidious young man and of refined tastes.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of elegant furniture and an elegant writer.^[3][5]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of a painter's skilful hand.^[3][5]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius on the old bad sense, and of exact learning.^[2][3][5]
• late 15th century – Borrowed into English as elegant.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Careful in choosing, fastidious, particular.^[3][2][1]
2. (early Latin, unfavourable) Given to luxurious habits.^[3][2]
3. Refined and correct in taste, cultivated; scrupulous in conduct.^[3][2][1]
4. Tastefully attractive, elegant, fine.^[3][6][1]
5. Of speakers, writers and their style, apt in the choice of words, polished; skilful in other arts.^[3]
6. Of learning, exact; of a distinction, fine, subtle.^[3]

Word family

• ēlegantia
• inēlegāns
• perēlegāns

Related words

• ēligō
• legō
• English elegant

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com