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superbe

Etymology and origin of the French word superbe

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Latin superbus
English superb
Latin superbia
French superbe

The Robert dictionaries distinguish the noun la superbe, pride, borrowed from Latin superbia, and the adjective superbe, from Latin superbus.[1][2][3]

superbe1 pride

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1120, Oxford Psalter
Borrowed from
Latin superbia
Ultimate origin
Latin (super)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sy.pɛʁb/[3]

Forms

superbe f (uncountable)[3]

Etymology

Pride is borrowed from Latin superbia (“pride, arrogance”), derived from superbus (“proud”).[1][2][4][3] Cognate with Old Occitan superbia, Spanish soberbia and Italian superbia.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is recorded about 1120, in the Oxford Psalter, as a noun meaning pride.[1][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In religious language it was one of the deadly sins: the Académie in 1694 writes that la superbe précipita Lucifer… dans les enfers, and Pascal uses it often.[1][2] Bloch and Wartburg note that it has aged since the 17th century; it was taken up again in the 19th century in the literary sense of proud self-assurance, now mostly in il n'a rien perdu de sa superbe.[4][2][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1120 – In the Oxford Psalter.[6][1]
  • 1694 – The Académie's example of Lucifer.[1]
  • 19th century – Taken up again in literary use.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (literary) Proud self-assurance, shown in one's bearing: il n'a rien perdu de sa superbe.[2][8]
  2. (archaic) Pride, vanity, arrogance.[2][1]

superbe2 superb

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
late 12th century, Aiol
Borrowed from
Latin superbus
Ultimate origin
Latin (super)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sy.pɛʁb/[3]

Forms

superbe (plural superbes)[3]

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin superbus (“haughty, proud; in poetry, magnificent”).[7][4][3] The Latin word is formed from super (“above”) and an element that may be related to the root “to grow”, also found in probus (“upright”): “growing above the others”.[7] Littré compares the Sanskrit root “to be”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The chanson de geste Aiol (late 12th century) and Élie de Saint-Gilles (about 1200) use it of a proud person.[6][9]

Semantic evolution

The Latin sense “proud” is now archaic or literary, as in Valéry's nations amères, superbes, insupportables et vaines.[7][2] From the 16th century it was also said of an action (Amyot, 1559), a bearing (Bossuet, 1658) and an animal, with a mixture of pride and majesty: Racine's superbes coursiers (1677).[7][9] In the 16th century it took the favourable value of the Latin, “magnificent, sumptuous” (1573, of a house); from 1617 it meant “very beautiful”, and, from the 18th century this weakened sense became the ordinary one, said of an imposing woman (1762) or of a thing.[7][4][2]

Timeline

  • Late 12th century – “Proud”, in Aiol.[6]
  • 1559 – Of an action, in Amyot.[7]
  • 1573 – “Magnificent”, of a house.[7][2]
  • 1617 – “Very beautiful”.[2][7]
  • 1677 – Superbes coursiers, in Racine.[9]
  • 1762 – Of a woman of fine presence.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Very beautiful, superb, magnificent: un superbe appartement, une ville superbe.[2][8]
  2. Of the weather, particularly fine: une superbe matinée de printemps.[8][2]
  3. Excellent in a particular quality: elle a été superbe de sang-froid.[8]
  4. (archaic or literary) Haughty, proud: un air superbe.[2][10]
  5. (literary) Full of grandeur and luxury.[2][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d e Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ a b c 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
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Superbe.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/superbe. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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