celo

See also: Appendix:Variations of "celo"

Esperanto

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y-

Proto-Indo-European *-lom

Proto-Indo-European *dh₂ilom?

Proto-Germanic *tilą

Proto-West Germanic *til

Old High German zil

Middle High German zilbor.

Old Czech cílbor.

Old Polish cel

Polish celbor.

Esperanto celo

Borrowed from Polish cel. Compare Russian цель (celʹ), Hungarian cél, German Ziel, Czech cíl, Ukrainian ціль (cilʹ), Yiddish ציל (tsil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡selo/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Audio 3:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -elo
• Syllabification: ce‧lo

Noun

celo (accusative singular celon, plural celoj, accusative plural celojn)

1. goal, aim, purpose
   • 1929, L. L. Zamenhof, edited by Johannes Dietterle, Originala Verkaro [Original Works]‎^[1] (paperback), Leipzig: Ferdinand Hirt & Sohn, page 59:

     Ĝis tiu tempo, t. e. en la daŭro de la unuaj 5 jaroj, en la lingvo laŭ mia opinio nenio devus esti ŝanĝata kaj la tuta laborado de la amikoj devus havi la celon nur fortigi kaj vastigi nian aferon.

     Until that time, i. e. in the duration of the first 5 years, according to my opinion, nothing in the language should be changed and the entire work by the friends should have the goal only to strengthen and spread our affair.

   • 2024 August 4, Andy Blair, “Paralela Universo”, in uea.facila‎^[2], archived from the original on 15 September 2024:

     Laŭ la fondinto de Paralela Universo, Jed Meltzer el Toronto, la celo de la festivalo estas doni al esperantistoj la eblon renkontiĝi persone kaj surloke.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Related terms

• alceli (“to aim”)
• celi (“to aim at”)
• fincelo (“final goal, ultimate goal”)
• sencela (“aimless”)
• sencele (“aimlessly”)

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɛ.lo/
• Homophone: cielo
• Rhymes: -ɛlo
• Hyphenation: cè‧lo

Verb

celo

1. first-person singular present indicative of celare

Anagrams

• cole

Latin

Etymology

Probably denominal, perhaps from a root noun *kēls (“hiding-place”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-. The older and more straightforward formation *kelō is found in occulō.

Related to clam. Cognate with Old Irish ceilid (“to hide”) and Proto-Germanic *helaną, *huljaną.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkeː.ɫoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈt͡ʃɛː.lo]

Verb

cēlō (present infinitive cēlāre, perfect active cēlāvī, supine cēlātum); first conjugation

1. to hide (something from someone), cover, keep a secret, conceal
   • c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.12.23:

     Homō versūtus cēlat scientiam: et cor īnsipientium prōvocābit stultitiam.

     A cautious man concealeth [conceals] knowledge: and the heart of fools publisheth folly. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)

Conjugation

   Conjugation of cēlō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cēlō		cēlās		cēlat		cēlāmus		cēlātis		cēlant
	imperfect	cēlābam		cēlābās		cēlābat		cēlābāmus		cēlābātis		cēlābant
	future	cēlābō		cēlābis		cēlābit		cēlābimus		cēlābitis		cēlābunt
	perfect	cēlāvī		cēlāvistī, cēlāstī3		cēlāvit, cēlāt3		cēlāvimus, cēlāmus3		cēlāvistis, cēlāstis3		cēlāvērunt, cēlārunt, cēlāvēre3
	pluperfect	cēlāveram, cēlāram3		cēlāverās, cēlārās3		cēlāverat, cēlārat3		cēlāverāmus, cēlārāmus3		cēlāverātis, cēlārātis3		cēlāverant, cēlārant3
	future perfect	cēlāverō, cēlārō3		cēlāveris, cēlāris3		cēlāverit, cēlārit3		cēlāverimus, cēlārimus3		cēlāveritis, cēlāritis3		cēlāverint, cēlārint3
	sigmatic future1	cēlāssō		cēlāssis		cēlāssit		cēlāssimus		cēlāssitis		cēlāssint
passive	present	cēlor		cēlāris, cēlāre		cēlātur		cēlāmur		cēlāminī		cēlantur
	imperfect	cēlābar		cēlābāris, cēlābāre		cēlābātur		cēlābāmur		cēlābāminī		cēlābantur
	future	cēlābor		cēlāberis, cēlābere		cēlābitur		cēlābimur		cēlābiminī		cēlābuntur
	perfect	cēlātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	cēlātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	cēlātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cēlem		cēlēs		cēlet		cēlēmus		cēlētis		cēlent
	imperfect	cēlārem		cēlārēs		cēlāret		cēlārēmus		cēlārētis		cēlārent
	perfect	cēlāverim, cēlārim3		cēlāverīs, cēlārīs3		cēlāverit, cēlārit3		cēlāverīmus, cēlārīmus3		cēlāverītis, cēlārītis3		cēlāverint, cēlārint3
	pluperfect	cēlāvissem, cēlāssem3		cēlāvissēs, cēlāssēs3		cēlāvisset, cēlāsset3		cēlāvissēmus, cēlāssēmus3		cēlāvissētis, cēlāssētis3		cēlāvissent, cēlāssent3
	sigmatic aorist1	cēlāssim		cēlāssīs		cēlāssīt		cēlāssīmus		cēlāssītis		cēlāssint
passive	present	cēler		cēlēris, cēlēre		cēlētur		cēlēmur		cēlēminī		cēlentur
	imperfect	cēlārer		cēlārēris, cēlārēre		cēlārētur		cēlārēmur		cēlārēminī		cēlārentur
	perfect	cēlātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	cēlātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		cēlā		—		—		cēlāte		—
	future	—		cēlātō		cēlātō		—		cēlātōte		cēlantō
passive	present	—		cēlāre		—		—		cēlāminī		—
	future	—		cēlātor		cēlātor		—		—		cēlantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		cēlāre			cēlārī, cēlārier2			cēlāns			—
future		cēlātūrum esse			cēlātum īrī			cēlātūrus			cēlandus
perfect		cēlāvisse, cēlāsse3			cēlātum esse			—			cēlātus
future perfect		—			cēlātum fore			—			—
perfect potential		cēlātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		cēlandī		cēlandō		cēlandum		cēlandō		cēlātum		cēlātū

¹At least one use of the Old Latin "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").
²The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.
³At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

• concēlō

Descendants

• Albanian: këshill (“consiglio, segreto”)
• Albanian: mshel, ⇒ mshil (“chiudere ; closure, sealure”)
• Albanian: çel, ⇒ çil (“aprire ; aperture, unlocking”)
• Catalan: celar, ⇒ recelar (“to be suspicious, to be wary”)
• French: celer
• Italian: celare
• ⇒ Old Galician-Portuguese: recear (“to fear, to dread”)
  • Galician: recear
  • Portuguese: recear
• Spanish: celar, ⇒ recelar (“to suspect, to be wary”)

References

• “celo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “celo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “celo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • not to betray one's feelings by one's looks: sententiam fronte celare, tegere
    

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sɛ.lɔ/
• Rhymes: -ɛlɔ
• Syllabification: ce‧lo

Noun

celo f

1. vocative singular of cela

Serbo-Croatian

Adjective

celo (Cyrillic spelling цело)

1. neuter nominative/accusative/vocative singular of ceo

Slovene

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡sɛlóː/

Adverb

celọ̑

1. even (implying extreme example)
2. even, yet (emphasizing a comparative)

Further reading

• “celo”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
• “celo”, in Termania, Amebis
• See also the general references

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθelo/ [ˈθe.lo] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˈselo/ [ˈse.lo] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -elo
• Syllabification: ce‧lo

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *yeh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-los

Proto-Indo-European *yéh₂los

Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos)bor.

Latin zēlus

Spanish celo

Inherited from Latin zēlus, borrowed from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos). Cognate with English zeal.

Alternative forms

• zelo (obsolete)

Noun

celo m (plural celos)

1. zeal
2. heat (condition where a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate)

   Está en celo. ― She's in heat.

3. (in the plural) jealousy

   Su novio tiene celos de mí.

   Her boyfriend is jealous of me.

Derived terms

• en celo
• huelga de celo

Related terms

• celos
• celoso
• celote, celota
• celotismo
• recelo

Etymology 2

Sellotape ― Celo

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-der.

Latin cella

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -ula

Latin cellulabor.

French cellule

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.?

Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos?

Old Latin -ōssus

Latin -ōsuslbor.

French -ose

French cellulosebor.

English cellulose

Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁

Proto-Indo-European *dwísder.

Ancient Greek διά (diá)

Ancient Greek δῐᾰ- (dĭă-)

Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-né-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti

Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō

Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō)

Ancient Greek δῐᾰφαίνω (dĭăphaínō)

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-ēs

Proto-Hellenic *-ēs

Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs)

Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs)

Ancient Greek δῐᾰφᾰνής (dĭăphănḗs)bor.

Medieval Latin diaphanus

Middle French diaphanebor.

English diaphane

blend

English cellophane

Old English tæppa

Middle English tape

English tape

blend

English Sellotape

English sellotapeclip.

Spanish celo

Clipping of English sellotape.

Noun

celo m (uncountable)

1. sellotape, sticky tape, Scotch tape, adhesive tape

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

celo

1. first-person singular present indicative of celar

Further reading

• “celo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025