immense

Pronunciation

• IPA: /i(m).mɑ̃s/^[1]

Forms

immense (plural immenses)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin immēnsus (“boundless, infinite”),^{[2][3][4][5][6][1]} formed from the negative prefix in- and mēnsus (“measured”), the past participle of mētior (“to measure”),^[3][5][7] a verb belonging with an Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”) (see mesurer, mètre).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A marriage contract of 1360 uses it in the sense “total, unreserved”, in donation immense, a use now gone.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Villon (before 1453) has it for what is boundless or hard to measure, and, from there it came to mean “of considerable extent” and “considerable in size or quantity”, of concrete and abstract things; weakened, it now often means simply “very large”.^[2][3] The Latin sense “infinite” (Dieu est immense) was used from the 16th century, and in the 19th century the word was applied to a person of very great gifts; both uses have disappeared.^[3]

The adverb immensément dates from the early 18th century (Saint-Simon), and immensité, borrowed from Latin immēnsitās, from 1374.^[3][4]

Timeline

• 1360 – “Total, unreserved”.^[2]
• 1374 – Immansité.^[3]
• Before 1453 – “Boundless, vast”, Villon.^[2]
• 16th century – “Infinite”.^[3]
• Early 18th century – immensément, Saint-Simon.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (formal) Boundless, infinite.^[8][2]
2. Of very great extent; vast, huge: la mer immense.^[8][1]
3. Very great in its kind, in strength, importance or quantity: une foule immense, un immense succès.^[8][7]

Word family

• immensément
• immensité

Related words

• mesurer
• mesure

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b 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. 4, 571b
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert