Saint Ignatius High School

Etymology Word of the Week

Director of Admissions Pat O'Rourke '90, a self-proclaimed "word nerd," brings you his Etymology Word of the Week. Every other week he presents an online Etymology lesson just for fun!

Etymology Word of the Week – As some of you know, in addition to working in the Admissions Office, I also teach Latin at Saint Ignatius and am something of a "word nerd."  Thus, each week, I’ll sneak a vocabulary word (sometimes derived from Latin, sometimes not) into the e-blast.  Here, then, is this week’s edition of the Etymology Word of the Week.  

Elect - “to choose for an office, position, or duty.”  From the Latin verb eligere, electus meaning “to pick out, choose” which combines the Latin preposition e, ex meaning “out of, from” and the Latin verb lego, legere, legi, lectus meaning “to gather, collect, pick, choose; to read (i.e. to pick out words)” (all information is from www.wikipedia.org, www.etymonline.com and/or www.dictionary.com).

RELATED WORDS/PHRASES – collect, lecture, delegate, select, neglect, intelligence (from inter + lego - to choose between) 

SAMPLE SENTENCE - “Many members of both political parties view the 2020 election as a referendum on America’s future.”  

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE:  “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”  John Wooden, legendary college basketball coach