Collective
/kəˈlɛk.tɪv/noun
Relating to or done by a group of people acting together.
Did you know?Its root is the same *leg- meaning “to gather” that also gives us **legion** and **lecture**, tying armies, reading, and group identity back to one ancient idea of collecting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“to gather, collect, choose”
Latin
Latin
collēctīvus
“gathered together; collected”
Late Latin
Latin
collectīvus
“serving to gather or collect”
Middle French
Old French
collectif
“collective, gathered into one”
Late Middle English
English
collectif
“forming a group or aggregate”
Modern English
English
collective
“relating to or done by a group as a whole”
Explore more surprising origins