*geus-

masc. proper name, Scottish, related to Irish Aonghus, a compound that may be rendered in English as "having solitary strength," or else "one choice, sole choice." From Celtic oen "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") + Old Irish gus "ability, excellence, strength, inclination" (from Celtic root *gustu- "choice," from PIE root *geus- "to taste; to choose"). Also the name of a former county in Scotland (said to have been named for an 8c. Pictish king of that name), hence a breed of cattle (1842) associated with that region.

mid-14c., "that which is choice," from choice (adj.) blended with earlier chois (n.) "action of selecting" (c. 1300); "power of choosing" (early 14c.), "the person or thing chosen" (late 14c.), from Old French chois "one's choice; fact of having a choice" (12c., Modern French choix), from verb choisir "to choose, distinguish, discern; recognize, perceive, see," which is from Frankish or some other Germanic source and related to Old English ceosan "to choose, taste, try" (from PIE root *geus- "to taste; to choose").

Late Old English chis "fastidious, choosy," from or related to ceosan, probably also contributed to the development of choice. Choice replaced Old English cyre "choice, free will," from the same base, probably because the imported word was closer to choose [see note in OED].