Today’s Word of the Week comes from a reader request! Ready? Let’s take a look at the word elegant.

Elegant had been in the English language since the late 1400s, starting life with the meaning of “tastefully ornate.” Our English word came from the French élégant, which in turn comes from the Latin elegantem, an adjective meaning “choice, fine, tasteful.” The root of elegantem is actually eligere, a verb that means “to select with care, to choose.” This is the same root from which we get the word election! Did you realize those two were related? I didn’t!

Interestingly, the Latin adjective first carried the sense of “dantiy, fastidious” and was used as an insult or term of reproach. But eventually the Latin evolved to mean “tastefully refined,” which is what then carried over into French and English.

Word Nerds Merch!