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Origin and history of counsel

counsel(n.)

c. 1200, "advice or instruction given;" c. 1300, "mutual advising or interchange of opinions, consultation," from Old French counseil "advice, counsel; deliberation, thought" (10c.), from Latin consilium "plan, opinion," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + root of calare "to announce, summon" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout"). As a synonym for "lawyer, one who gives legal counsel," attested late 14c.

also from c. 1200

counsel(v.)

c. 1300, counseilen, "to give or offer advice, admonish, instruct," from Old French conseiller "to advise, counsel," from Latin consiliari, from consilium "plan, opinion," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + root of calare "to announce, summon" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout"). Related: Counseled. 

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to counsel

council(n.)

"assembly of persons for consultation, deliberation or advice," early 12c., originally in the Church sense, "assembly of prelates and theologians to regulate doctrine and discipline," from Anglo-French cuncile, from Old North French concilie (Old French concile, 12c.) "assembly; council meeting; body of counsellors," from Latin concilium "a meeting, a gathering of people," from PIE *kal-yo-, suffixed form of root *kele- (2) "to shout." The notion is of a calling together. The tendency to confuse it in form and meaning with counsel has been consistent since 16c.

counseling(n.)

also counselling, early 14c., "the giving or taking of counsel," verbal noun from counsel (v.). Meaning "the giving of professional advice on social or psychological problems" is attested by 1928. 

  • counselor
  • miscounsel
  • con-
  • *kele-
  • See All Related Words (6)
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More to explore

counselor
mid-13c., counseiler, "one who gives counsel or advice, a confidante," from Old French conseillier "counselor, adviser" (Modern French conseiller), from Latin consilator, agent noun from consiliare, from consilium (see counsel (v.)). Also sometimes counsellor, but the double -l-
rede
"counsel, advice," Old English ræd "advice, counsel," from Proto-Germanic *redin (source also of Old Saxon rad "advice, counsel, help, advantage," Old Frisian red "council, advice," Dutch raad "advice, counsel," German Rat "advice, counsel," Old Norse rað "advice, consideration,
advise
late 13c., avisen "to view, consider" (a sense now obsolete); late 14c., "to give counsel to," from Old French aviser "deliberate, reflect, consider" (13c.), from avis "opinion," from phrase ço m'est à vis "it seems to me," or from Vulgar Latin *mi est visum "in my view," ultimat
unready
, where it preserves Middle English unredi, a different adjective, from Old English ungeræd "ill-advised, rede-less, no-counsel..." and plays on the king's name (which means "good-counsel")....Old English ræd "advice, counsel" is related to read (v.). Rede "counsel" survived in poetic usage to 17c....
advisement
early 14c., avisement, "examination, inspection, observation," from Old French avisement "consideration, reflection; counsel...The meaning "advice, counsel" is from c. 1400, as is that of "consultation, conference," now obsolete except in the legalese...
read
Middle English reden, ireden, "to counsel, advise," also "to read," from Old English rædan, gerædan (West Saxon), redan,...geredan (Anglian) "to advise, counsel, persuade; discuss, deliberate; rule, guide; arrange, equip; forebode; to read (observe...Proto-Germanic *redan, source also of Old Norse raða, Old Frisian reda, Dutch raden, Old High German ratan, German raten "to advise, counsel...Cognate words in most modern Germanic languages still mean "counsel, advise" (compare rede)....
Reynard
French Renart, Reynard, the name of the fox in Roman de Renart, from Old High German personal name Reginhart "strong in counsel...," literally "counsel-brave."...
advocate
mid-14c., "one whose profession is to plead cases in a court of justice," a technical term from Roman law, from Old French avocat "barrister, advocate, spokesman," from Latin advocatus "one called to aid (another); a pleader (on one's behalf), advocate," noun use of past particip
direction
late 14c., direccioun, "action of directing or guiding," from Latin directionem (nominative directio) "a making straight, a straight line, a directing (toward something)," noun of action from past-participle stem of dirigere "to set straight, arrange; give a particular direction
dale
level or gently sloping ground between low hills with a stream flowing through it, Old English dæl "vale, valley, gorge," from Proto-Germanic *dalaz "valley" (source also of Old Saxon, Dutch, Gothic dal, Old Norse dalr, Old High German tal, German Tal "valley"), perhaps from PIE

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