elate: [16] Elate means literally ‘lift up’, and that is how it was originally used in English: ‘Placus doth elate his shady forehead’, George Chapman, Iliad 1611. The word comes from ēlātus, the past participle of Latin efferre. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix ex- ‘out’ and ferre ‘carry’ (a relative of English bear). Its metaphorical extension to a ‘lifting of the spirits, exultation’ had already started in the Latin word, and had completely ousted the literal meaning in English before the end of the 18th century. => relate
1570s, literal, "to raise, elevate," probably from Latin elatus "uplifted, exalted," past participle of effere "carry out, bring forth" (see elation), or else a back-formation from elation. Figurative use, "to raise or swell the mind or spirit with satisfaction and pride," is from 1610s. Related: Elated; elating.
