Etymologically
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elegans

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈeː.ɫɛ.ɡãːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛː.le.ɡans][1]

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

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