choose

Meanings

Verb

• To pick; to make the choice of; to select.
• To elect.
• To decide to act in a certain way.
• To prefer; to wish; to desire.

Noun

• The act of choosing; selection.
• The power, right, or privilege of choosing; election.
• Scope for choice.

Origin

• From Middle English chesen, from Old English ċēosan ("to choose, seek out, select, elect, decide, test, accept, settle for, approve"), from Proto-West Germanic *keusan, from Proto-Germanic *keusaną ("to taste, choose"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵéwseti, from *ǵews-.
• Cognate with Scots chuise, cheese, French choisir ("to choose"), North Frisian kese ("to choose"), West Frisian kieze ("to choose"), Dutch kiezen ("to choose"), Low German kesen ("to choose"), archaic and partially obsolete German kiesen ("to choose"), Danish kyse ("to frighten (via ‘to charm, allure’ and ‘to enchant’)"), Norwegian kjose ("to choose"), Swedish tjusa ("to charm, allure, enchant"), Icelandic kjósa ("to choose, vote, elect"), Gothic 𐌺𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌽 ("to test"), Latin gustō ("I taste, sample"), Ancient Greek γεύω ("to feed"), Sanskrit जोषति ("to like, enjoy"), Russian кушать ("to have a meal, to eat").
• From Middle English chose, chos, chooce, from chosen. Cognate with Scots chose ("choosing, choice, selection").