selective adj.

1560s, "chosen on account of special excellence or fitness," from Latin selectus, past participle of seligere "choose out, single out, select; separate, cull," from se- "apart" (see se-) + legere "to gather, select" (from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather").

"Carefully picked," hence "choice, of special excellence" (by 1580s). Related: Selectly; selectness. The noun meaning "a selected person or thing, that which is choice" is recorded from c. 1600.

word-forming element making adjectives from verbs, meaning "pertaining to, tending to; doing, serving to do," in some cases from Old French -if, but usually directly from Latin adjectival suffix -ivus (source also of Italian and Spanish -ivo). In some words borrowed from French at an early date it has been reduced to -y (as in hasty, tardy).