select, choose, pick out
擇 centers on the act of selecting one option from several: choosing, picking out, or singling out something from a group.
擇 is the traditional form of 択. It combines 扌 (hand) with 睪, which likely contributed the sound and helped express selecting or picking by hand.
The left side is a hand 扌, and the right side 睪 suggests a complex set of options. Picture a hand reaching into a pile of items to pick out the right one.
For タク, imagine choosing a tack from a box of thumbtacks: tack -> タク, and your hand picks the right one.