Etymologically
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grandis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word grandis

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Confidence
Unknown
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɡran.dɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɡran.dis][1]

Forms

grandis (neuter grande, comparative grandior, superlative grandissimus, adverb grande or granditer); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

The origin is unclear.[2][1] Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny compared Ancient Greek βρένθος (brénthos, “pride”) and Old Church Slavonic грѫдь (grǫdĭ, “breast”), and the Oxford Latin Dictionary and Georges follow the Greek comparison, but de Vaan finds both the form and the meaning unconvincing.[2][3][4] Wiktionary reports a traditional link with Proto-Germanic *grautaz (“big, coarse”), the source of English great.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus speaks of a grown-up daughter.[3][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was grown up, full-grown, of persons, and grandis nātū was “old”.[3][6] It was big or tall of living things and objects, as Varro's largest ears of corn, great in amount, as a large sum of money, intense, and important or weighty.[3][7] Of style it meant grand, lofty or exalted.[3] Döderlein ranks it with magnus and amplus, becoming greatness, as against ingēns and vastus.[8]

In medieval Latin it was also strong, vehement, harsh, and of persons noble.[9] It survives as Italian grande, French grand, Spanish grande and Portuguese grande.[1] English grand is recorded in the late 14th century as “large”.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a grown-up girl.[3][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the largest ears of corn.[7][5]
  • late 14th century – English grand is recorded, through Anglo-French graunt.[10]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Grown up, full-grown, grandis nātū, elderly.[3][6]
  2. Big, large, tall.[3][11]
  3. Great (in amount); ample.[3]
  4. Intense, extreme.[3]
  5. Important, weighty.[3]
  6. Of style, grand, lofty.[3]

Word family

  • grandiculus
  • grandifer
  • grandificus
  • grandiloquus
  • grandiō
  • grandisonus
  • granditās
  • grandiusculus
  • pergrandis
  • praegrandis
  • subgrandis
  • English grand
  • English great

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  9. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  11. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Grandis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/grandis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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