Etymologically
Log in

egregius

Etymology and origin of the Latin word egregius

History
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin egregius
English egregious

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [eːˈɡrɛ.ɡi.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈɡrɛː.d͡ʒi.us][1]

Forms

ēgregius (feminine ēgregia, neuter ēgregium, comparative magis ēgregius, superlative maximē ēgregius or ēgregiissimus or ēgregīssimus, adverb ēgregiē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from the phrase ē grege (“out of the flock”), from ex (“out of”) and grex “flock”, with the suffix -ius.[2][3][1] The literal sense was “chosen from the herd”, as Festus already explained it.[4][3][5] The verb sēgregāre “to separate” was formed in the same way.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Ennius onwards,[2] and Terence uses it of a girl of outstanding beauty.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant outstanding in some respect, excellent or first-rate, said of people, things, qualities and actions, as in Cicero's egregius in procuratione civitatis “excellent in managing the state”.[6][4] It was also used sarcastically, as of Cicero's “fine witnesses” who hid in the baths.[6][7] The superlative egregiissimus occurs in Pacuvius, and Aulus Gellius discusses its vocative.[6][4]

From the late 2nd century AD vir egregius was a title of procurators and other officials of equestrian rank.[6][8] English borrowed it in the 1530s as English egregious “distinguished”, and its disapproving sense, originally ironic, arose in English in the late 16th century.[5]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[2][9]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of outstanding beauty.[4][9]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of statesmen and, ironically, of witnesses.[6][9]
  • c. 167 AD – vir egregius appears as an official title in an inscription.[6]
  • 1530s – English borrows it as English egregious.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Outstanding, excellent, distinguished.[6][4]
  2. (sarcastic) Fine, splendid.[6]
  3. (of rank) Illustrious, vir egregius: a title of equestrian officials.[6][8]

Word family

  • egregiatus
  • perēgregius
  • ēgregiē

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Egregius.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/egregius. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .