hideux

Forms

hideux (feminine hideuse, masculine plural hideux, feminine plural hideuses)^[1] Old French hisdos, hydus (about 1140); the modern spelling hideux dates from 1273.^[2][3] Anglo-Norman hidus, hidous, hisdus.^[4]

Etymology

Its origin is disputed.^[2][5] The usual view is that it was formed from Old French hisde (“horror, fright”) + -os, with the suffix that became -eux.^[5][6][1] That noun is traditionally derived from Old High German *egisida (“horror”), a derivative of *egisōn (“to frighten”);^[2][3] Wiktionary gives it as Proto-West Germanic *agisiþu (“horror, terror”), from *agisōn (“to frighten”).^[1] The FEW files the word under the concept “to frighten”.^[7]

Diez's older explanation takes it from Latin hispidōsus (“bristly, shaggy”), recorded in Catullus, a derivative of hispidus (“bristly, rough”).^[5][2] Pierre Guiraud likewise derived the Old French noun itself from the Latin adjective, with an expressive initial ⟨h⟩;^[2][3] Wiktionary notes that the change of sense is harder to explain on this view.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded about 1140 as hydus in Geffrei Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis, meaning “inspiring horror”, “terrifying”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept much of its early force: from “inspiring horror” it came to mean “horrible to look at, repulsively ugly”, and in 1694 (Boileau) figuratively “morally revolting”.^[2][6] It remains stronger than affreux or horrible, except in a weakened use for what merely offends good taste.^[2]

The adverb hideusement is nearly as old (about 1185, hisdosement, “in a frightening way”).^[2] Anglo-Norman hidus meant “terrifying, dreadful” and also “ugly”;^[4] through it English took hideous about 1300, first in the sense “terrifying”, with “repulsive” from the late 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1140 – Hydus “terrifying” in Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis.^[5]
• c. 1185 – The adverb hisdosement is recorded.^[2]
• 1273 – The form hideux appears, in Adenet.^[6][2]
• c. 1300 – English borrows hideous from Anglo-French.^[8]
• 1694 – Boileau uses it of what is morally revolting.^[6][2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Repulsively ugly, horrible to look at: un masque hideux.^[9][10][5]
2. (figurative) Morally vile, arousing disgust: une hideuse trahison.^[10][6]
3. (as a noun) Le hideux: what is hideous, as an aesthetic category.^[5]

Word family

• hideusement

Related words

• hideur

Usage notes

The initial h is aspirated: the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert transcribe it as /'idø/, so there is no elision or liaison before it.^[3][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 22/1, 48a
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)