Yes, Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus were indeed the first two consuls of the Roman Republic, elected in 509 BCE after the overthrow of the last Roman king. [1]

Etymologists have extensively researched the root following the prefix co(n)- (derived from cum, meaning "with/together"), proposing two primary linguistic theories for the second element. [1, 2]

Theory 1: The Root of "Taking" or "Gathering Together" (Modern Consensus)

Modern historical linguists trace the word consul back to the Proto-Italic compound *kom-sel-e-. [1]

• The Prefix: *kom- (which became con-) meaning "together".
• The Root: *selh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), meaning "to take, grab, or gather".
• The Meaning: Combined, the literal meaning is "to gather together". This evolved into the verb consulere ("to deliberate, take counsel, or meet and consider"). Under this dominant theory, a consul is fundamentally "one who deliberates or consults the Senate together with a colleague". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Theory 2: The Root of "Leaping" or "Going" (Older Alternative)

An older, classic etymological theory proposed by 19th-century scholars (like Wilhelm Corssen) links the second element to a different root: [1]

• The Root: sal-, from the Latin verb salire (meaning "to leap, spring, or go"). [, 2]
• The Meaning: In this interpretation, con-sul means "one who goes together with another."
• Parallels: This theory relies on the structural mirroring found in other Roman official titles:
  • Exsul (Exile) \(\rightarrow \) ex- (out) + salire = "one who leaps/goes out".
  • Praesul (Protector/Leader of a dance) \(\rightarrow \) prae- (before) + salire = "one who leaps/goes before". [1]

While the "leaping/going together" theory elegantly explains the companion nature of the dual-magistracy, modern linguistics firmly favors the PIE root *selh₁- (gathering/deliberating together) as the most accurate origin. [1, 2]