excello Latin · revision 3796

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=Cato|origins=ine-pro *kelH-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɛksˈkɛl.loː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eksˈt͡ʃɛl.lo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''excellō''' (present infinitive excellere, perfect active excelluī, supine excelsum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[ex-]] and a lost verb [[m|la|*cellō|t=to rise]], whose participle is [[celsus]] “high”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary traces the verb to Proto-Italic *kelnō and [[ine-pro|*kelH-|t=to rise]], the root of [[collis]] “hill”, and compares [[spx|eśelsit]].^(Wiktionary) Forms of the second conjugation, as [[m|la|excellet]] and [[m|la|excelleat]], appear in Cicero.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Cato writes that most people's spirits rise in good fortune.^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016) Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense was to rise up, be elated, as in Cato, and to be higher, as in Pliny.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(OLD 2012) Usually it meant to be pre-eminent, to surpass or excel, as Cicero's “two orators then excelled”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In medieval music theory it meant to be higher in pitch.^(LmL) English ''excel'' was borrowed around 1400, and ''excellent'' comes from its participle ''excellēns''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of spirits rising in good fortune.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of orators who excel.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of height.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1400 – English ''excel'' is borrowed.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To rise up; to be elated.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be higher, superior in height.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To [[m|en|excel]], surpass, be [[m|en|eminent]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, music)'' To be higher in pitch.^(LmL)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[excellentia]]

+ * [[excelsus]]

+ * [[excellēns]]

+ * [[excellenter]]

+ * [[excelsē]]

+ * [[excelsitās]]

+ * [[excelsum]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[antecellō]]

+ * [[praecellō]]

+ * [[celsus]]

+ * [[en|excel]]

+ * [[en|excellent]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}