énorme French · revision 16582

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1340, Livre Roisin|origins=la nōrma}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /e.nɔʁm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''énorme''' (plural énormes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|ēnōrmis|t=irregular; out of proportion, huge]], from [[m|la|ex-|t=out of]] and [[m|la|nōrma|t=carpenter's square; rule]] (see [[norme]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|3, 227a)

+

+ Compare [[it|enorme]] and [[es|enorme]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Livre Roisin'' of Lille (1340) uses it in the Latin sense, “beyond all measure, contrary to the rule”, as in Bersuire's ''deux enormes forfaiz'' “two monstrous crimes”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Losing the idea of breaking a rule, it came to mean “of huge size” (Noël du Fail, 1547).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Of a person or a human phenomenon it means remarkable for its extremes, Flaubert wrote it ''hénaurme'' (1856), a joke spelling others took up.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Familiarly ''c'est énorme !'' expresses astonishment or admiration.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ The adverb [[énormément]] (about 1370) serves as a superlative of ''beaucoup''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1340 – “Contrary to the rule”, ''Livre Roisin''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1370 – ''Enormement''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1547 – “Huge”, Noël du Fail.^(TLFi)

+ * 1856 – ''Hénaurme'', Flaubert.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|enormous]], huge: ''un arbre énorme''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # Extraordinary, outrageous; considerable: ''une faute énorme'', ''un succès énorme''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Incredible, amazing: ''c'est énorme !''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[énormément]]

+ * [[énormité]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[norme]]

+ * [[anormal]]

+ * [[la|nōrma]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}