Etymologically
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énorme

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /e.nɔʁm/[1]

Forms

énorme (plural énormes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin ēnōrmis (“irregular; out of proportion, huge”), from ex- (“out of”) and nōrma (“carpenter's square; rule”) (see norme).[2][3][4][5][6]

Compare Italian enorme and Spanish enorme.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Livre Roisin of Lille (1340) uses it in the Latin sense, “beyond all measure, contrary to the rule”, as in Bersuire's deux enormes forfaiz “two monstrous crimes”.[2][3][7]

Semantic evolution

Losing the idea of breaking a rule, it came to mean “of huge size” (Noël du Fail, 1547).[2][3] Of a person or a human phenomenon it means remarkable for its extremes, Flaubert wrote it hénaurme (1856), a joke spelling others took up.[3][8] Familiarly c'est énorme ! expresses astonishment or admiration.[9]

The adverb énormément (about 1370) serves as a superlative of beaucoup.[3]

Timeline

  • 1340 – “Contrary to the rule”, Livre Roisin.[2]
  • c. 1370 – Enormement.[3]
  • 1547 – “Huge”, Noël du Fail.[2]
  • 1856 – Hénaurme, Flaubert.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. enormous, huge: un arbre énorme.[1][8]
  2. Extraordinary, outrageous; considerable: une faute énorme, un succès énorme.[9][8]
  3. (familiar) Incredible, amazing: c'est énorme !.[9]

Word family

  • énormément
  • énormité

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 227a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert