electus Latin · revision 32328

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=86/82 BC, Rhetorica ad Herennium|origins=ine-pro *leǵ-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ēlectus''' (feminine ēlecta, neuter ēlectum, comparative ēlectior, superlative ēlectissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Used as an adjective, it is the past participle [[der|la|ēligō|t=to pick out, choose]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) [[m|la|ēligō]] is formed from [[m|la|ex-]] and [[m|la|legō|t=to gather, choose]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*leg-e-]] and [[ine-pro|*leǵ-e/o-|t=to collect]], comparing [[grc|λέγω|tr=légō|t=to collect, count, speak]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest example is the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'', of a choicer word.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means picked for excellence, choice: of persons, especially soldiers, as Catullus's chosen young men and the flower of the unmarried girls, and of things, as Catullus mocks the choicest writings of the worst poet.^(OLD 2012) In Christian Latin it is used of the elect, those chosen by God and saved in eternity, and the neuter plural ''ēlecta'' are choice morsels.^(Stelten 1995) As a noun, ēlectus is in medieval texts one of God's chosen, a person chosen to be baptized soon, a co-juror named by the principal juror, a title of certain city officials, and a bishop-elect.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 86/82 BC – The ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' of a choicer word.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of chosen youths and of choice writings.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Picked, [[m|en|choice]], select, of fine quality.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' Chosen by God, [[m|en|elect]].^(Stelten 1995)^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' One of the elect; a [[m|en|candidate]] chosen for baptism.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A co-juror chosen by the principal juror; a city official; a [[m|en|bishop-elect]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A rare noun ēlectus, ''-ūs'', “choice, selection”, made from [[eligo|alt=ēligō]], appears once in Ovid, of the choice of a death, and again in Hilary of Poitiers and Paulinus of Nola.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}