Etymology

legate

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Today it means: A deputy representing the pope, specifically a papal ambassador sent on special ecclesiastical missions. Full definition →

First used 1546Old English legat(e) ← Old French legat ← Latin lēgātus
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legate · noun1

  1. Latin · derived fromlēgātus
  2. Old French · derived fromlegat
  3. Old English · inherited fromlegat(e)
  4. English todaylegate

Inherited from Old English legat(e), from Old French legat, from Latin lēgātus, substantivized from the perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, send as envoy”).

legate · verb2

  1. Latin · borrowed fromlēgātus
  2. English todaylegate

Borrowed from Latin lēgātus, perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, leave as legacy, legate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

legate · noun3

  1. Latin · borrowed fromlēgātum“a legacy”
  2. English todaylegate

Borrowed from Latin lēgātum (“a legacy”), substantivized from the neuter forms of the perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, leave as legacy, legate”). Doublet of legacy.

Words from the same roots

Latinlēgātum all →

legacy

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1546 To leave as a legacy.
  • 1442-1533 past participle of legate
  • 1438-1530 A legacy or bequest.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.