grand

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡrænd/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English graunt (“large, big”),^[2][3] borrowed from Anglo-Norman graunt, graund,^[2][3] and directly borrowed from Old French grand, grant “large, tall; grown-up; great, powerful”,^[3][2] from Latin grandis (“big, great; full, abundant; full-grown”),^[3][2] a word of unknown origin.^[3][2] Merriam-Webster compares Greek brénthos “pride” and Old Church Slavonic grǫdĭ “breast”, with a basic meaning “swelling”.^[4] In Vulgar Latin grandis replaced magnus and continued in the Romance languages,^[3] as Spanish grande, the source of grandee.^[5] The use of grand for relationships two generations apart, as in grandfather, follows French grand-père and grand'mère.^[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a surname or nickname, Grand, from 1125–30;^[2][5] the adjective “large, big” is from the late 14th century,^[3] before 1399 in Barnhart.^[2] In the sense “great, important” it is found from about 1350.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The connotations “noble, sublime, lofty” were already in Latin, and in English the word developed a special sense of “imposing”.^[3] One early use was as a title, the Grand, translating French le Grand,^[7][8] and grandmother is from before 1420 and grandfather from 1424.^[2] The meaning “principal, chief”, especially in titles, is from the 1560s;^[3] “of very high or noble quality” is from 1712,^[3] and as a general term of admiration, “magnificent, splendid”, from 1816.^[3] Grand jury is from 1495,^[2] grand piano from 1797,^[2][3] and grandstand from 1834.^[2] The noun, “a thousand dollars”, is American underworld slang from 1915^[3] or 1921.^[2] In Scots and northern English dialects grand meant “fine, excellent”, and in Pembrokeshire “well in health”.^[9]

Timeline

• 1125–30 – the surname Grand.^[2]
• before 1420 – grandmother.^[2]
• 1424 – grandfather.^[2]
• 1495 – grand jury.^[2]
• 1560s – principal, chief.^[3]
• 1712 – of high quality.^[3]
• 1797 – grand piano.^[2]
• 1816 – splendid.^[3]
• 1915 – noun, a thousand dollars.^[3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Large and impressive in size or extent; magnificent.
2. Rich and luxurious; splendid.
3. Dignified, noble or lofty in character.
4. Highest in rank; principal: a grand master.
5. (informal) Very good; excellent: a grand time.
6. Complete, total: the grand total.

Noun

1. A grand piano.
2. (slang) A thousand dollars or pounds.

Word family

• grandly
• grandness

Related words

• aggrandize
• grand-
• grandam
• grandee
• grandeur
• grandiloquence
• grandiloquent
• grandiose
• grandfather
• grandmother
• grandstand

Usage notes

Grand implies dignity, sweep and scale,^[10] while magnificent stresses splendour, majestic great dignity, imposing an impressive size or manner, and grandiose something affectedly grand.^[10]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
10. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin