ONT Re: Inquiry Driven Learning Environments
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IDLE. Note 2
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1.2. Etymology of "Intelligence" and Related Words
1. "Intellect" is from Latin "intellectus", the past participle of
"intellegere" = "to understand".
2. "Intelligent" is from Latin "intelligens", the present participle of
"intelligere" or "intellegere".
These, in turn, come from "inter-" (= "among", "between")
plus "legere" (= "to gather", "to select", also "to read").
This entire complex of words devolves on us from
the Greek verb "legein" = "to gather", "to say".
Finally, all of these concepts are rooted in the
Greek word "logos" = "reason", "speech", "word".
Source: Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary.
3. Entelechy? It appears possible that our modern conception of
intelligence, especially when its goal-directed or intentional
aspects are considered essential, as when a host of teleological
or purpose-bearing homunculi are invoked to account for its acts,
may also be influenced by the Greek notion of "entelechy", to wit,
an organism or an agency that embodies its goal or its completion
in itself. This word stems from the Greek "enteles" (= "complete")
plus "echein" (= "to have"), and finally from "telos" = "end".
Jon Awbrey
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