Intelligere

Intelligere is a Latin verb meaning to understand, perceive, or discern. It appears in classical Latin in contexts that signal grasping a meaning, recognizing distinctions, or comprehending a situation. A common simple usage is to express understanding, as in a form meaning “I understand you.”

Derivation and descendants: The verb lies at the root of several Latin nouns and adjectives that describe understanding or intellect, such as intelligens (clever, understanding) and intelligentia (understanding, intellect). It also gave rise to many modern words through Latin, medieval, and Romance-language transmissions, including English intelligence, intelligent, and intelligible.

Philosophy and linguistics: In late antiquity and medieval scholasticism, intelligere was central to discussions of the intellect and cognitive activity. The act of understanding was described with related terms such as intellectus (the intellect or understanding) and intelligentia (the faculty or result of understanding). These terms helped shape medieval theories of knowledge and perception and later influenced discussions of mind and language in philosophy.

Modern usage and translations: Today, terms derived from intelligere appear in many languages. The English forms intelligent, intelligible, and intelligence reflect this Latin heritage, signaling capacities related to understanding, reasoning, and the communication of meaning. The word remains a common historical pointer in discussions of cognition, perception, and the nature of understanding.