elegans

See also: elegáns

Latin

Etymology 1

The present participle of an unattested verb *ēlegāre ("to choose considerately"), probably from an intermediate noun *ēlegus ("chooser"), from ēligō (“to choose”) +‎ -us. For a similar formation, see occupō.

Alternative forms

• ēligāns

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈeː.le.ɡans/, [ˈeːɫ̪ɛɡä̃ːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.le.ɡans/, [ˈɛːleɡäns]

Adjective

ēlegāns (genitive ēlegantis, comparative ēlegantior, superlative ēlegantissimus, adverb ēleganter); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. fine, elegant, handsome

   Synonyms: opulēns, splendidus, lautus

2. tasteful
3. fastidious, critical
4. discriminating, polite

Inflection

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	ēlegāns			ēlegantēs	ēlegantia
Genitive	ēlegantis			ēlegantium
Dative	ēlegantī			ēlegantibus
Accusative	ēlegantem	ēlegāns		ēlegantēs	ēlegantia
Ablative	ēlegantī			ēlegantibus
Vocative	ēlegāns			ēlegantēs	ēlegantia

Descendants

• → Catalan: elegant
• → English: elegant
• → French: élégant
• → Galician: elegante
• → German: elegant
• → Italian: elegante
• → Occitan: elegant
• → Portuguese: elegante
• → Spanish: elegante
• → Swedish: elegans
• → Romanian: elegant

Etymology 2

Present active participle of ēlēgō

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /eːˈleː.ɡans/, [eːˈɫ̪eːɡä̃ːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈle.ɡans/, [eˈlɛːɡäns]

Participle

ēlēgāns (genitive ēlēgantis); third-declension one-termination participle

1. bequeathing away (out of the family)

Inflection

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	ēlēgāns			ēlēgantēs	ēlēgantia
Genitive	ēlēgantis			ēlēgantium
Dative	ēlēgantī			ēlēgantibus
Accusative	ēlēgantem	ēlēgāns		ēlēgantēs	ēlēgantia
Ablative	ēlēgantī			ēlēgantibus
Vocative	ēlēgāns			ēlēgantēs	ēlēgantia

References

• “elegans”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “elegans”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• elegans in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a fine, practised ear: aures elegantes, teretes, tritae (De Or. 9. 27)
    
  • sound knowledge; scholarship: doctrina exquisita, subtilis, elegans
    
  • good taste; delicate perception: iudicium subtile, elegans, exquisitum, intellegens
    
  • (ambiguous) logical minuteness, precision: disserendi elegantia
    
  • (ambiguous) he possesses sound judgment in matters of taste: elegantia in illo est
    
  • (ambiguous) tasteful description: elegantia orationis