intellect

intellect
\ \ [14] Intellect and intelligent come from the same ultimate source: Latin intelligereperceive, choose between’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix inter- ‘between’ and legeregather, choose, read’ (source of English lecture, legible, etc). Its past participle intellectus came to be used as a noun meaning ‘perception, comprehension’, which English acquired as intellect via Old French; while its present participle intelligēns gave English intelligent [16]. The derivative intelligentsia [20] was borrowed from Russian intelligyentsia, which in turn came via Polish inteligiencja from Latin intelligentiaintelligence’.
\ \ Cf.INTELLIGENT, LECTURE, LEGIBLE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Intellect — • The faculty of thought Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Intellect     Intellect     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • intellect — [ ɛ̃telɛkt ] n. m. • 1265; lat. intellectus, de intellegere « comprendre » ♦ L esprit dans son fonctionnement intellectuel. ⇒ entendement, esprit, intelligence. « ainsi faudrait il, dans l ordre de l intellect, acquérir un art de penser, se faire …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Intellect — In tel*lect, n. [L. intellectus, fr. intelligere, intellectum, to understand: cf. intellect. See {Intelligent}.] 1. (Metaph.) The part or faculty of the human mind by which it knows, as distinguished from the power to feel and to will; the power… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • intellect — I noun ability to perceive, ability to reason, ability to understand, brain, brilliance, cerebration, cognition, cognitive faculty, comprehension, genius, intellectual powers, intellectuality, intellegentia, intelligence, mens, mental ability,… …   Law dictionary

  • intellect — (n.) late 14c. (but little used before 16c.), from O.Fr. intellecte intellectual capacity (13c.), and directly from L. intellectus discernment, a perception, understanding, from noun use of pp. of intelligere to understand, discern (see… …   Etymology dictionary

  • intellect — *mind, soul, psyche, brain, intelligence, wit Analogous words: *reason, understanding, intuition …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • intellect — [n] capability of the mind; someone with capable mind ability, acumen, brains*, cerebration, comprehension, egghead*, genius, intellectual, intellectuality, intelligence, intuition, judgment, mentality, mind, psyche, pundit, reason, savvy, sense …   New thesaurus

  • intellect — INTELLECT. s. m. La faculté de l ame, qu on nomme autrement l Entendement. Il n est guere en usage que dans le Dogmatique …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • intellect — ► NOUN 1) the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively. 2) a person s mental powers. 3) a clever person. ORIGIN Latin intellectus understanding …   English terms dictionary

  • intellect — [in′tə lekt΄] n. [ME < L intellectus, a perceiving, understanding < pp. of intellegere, intelligere, to perceive, understand < inter , between, among + legere, to gather, pick, choose: see LOGIC] 1. the ability to reason or understand or …   English World dictionary

  • INTELLECT — The rationalism of medieval Jewish philosophy is manifest in its doctrines of intellect. Seen as both an incorporeal, universal heavenly substance and as a personal psychic faculty, intellect is both within man and without; it is viewed as the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”