eligo

Eligo is a Latin verb meaning to choose, elect, or select. It is used in classical Latin to describe the act of picking a person or thing, from simple preference to formal nomination. The verb is transitive, with its object in the accusative and the subject performing the action.

The present first-person singular form is eligo, and the infinitive is eligere. The verb belongs to the third conjugation. Its past participle is electus, which appears in various compounds and as an adjective meaning “chosen.” The perfect passive is formed with electus plus sum, yielding phrases such as electus sum, “I have been chosen.” English derivatives trace back to this verb and its participles, including elect, election, and other related terms.

Etymology and derivatives: eligo gives rise to the noun electio (the act of choosing or an election) and the adjective electus (chosen). The English words elect, elective, and electoral ultimately derive from this Latin root. The term also appears in a range of legal, political, and literary contexts in Latin texts, often in discussions of voting, appointment, or selection.

See also: election, electorate, elect, elective, electoral.