terrible French · revision 17122

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1160, Roman d'Eneas|origins=la terreō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tɛ.ʁibl/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /te.ʁibl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''terrible''' (plural terribles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|terribilis|t=frightening, dreadful, (Late Latin) venerable]], from [[m|la|terreō|t=to frighten]] (see [[terreur]]).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|13/1, 263a)^(Wiktionary) In the Code of Justinian (6th century) the Latin word meant “venerable”.^(TLFi)

+

+ Compare [[pro|terrible]], [[es|terrible]], [[pt|terrível]] and [[it|terribile]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Roman d'Eneas'' (about 1160; about 1130 according to Rey and the GLLF) has ''mostres terribles'' “terrifying monsters”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Borrowed by the literary language in the strong Latin sense, it has been much weakened since the end of the 16th century.^(DHLF 1992) Montaigne (1580) uses it for extreme intensity, La Noue (1587) of people, and Montaigne again (1588) for something remarkable of its kind (''une terrible estandue''), a vague superlative much used by the précieux.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) La Fontaine (1669) uses ''le terrible'' as a noun for the terror aroused by tragedy.^(TLFi) Molière has ''femme terrible'' (1672) and Furetière, approvingly, ''un terrible homme'' (1690); ''Les Enfants terribles'' is a title of 1841.^(TLFi) Recently it has been revived as an intensive, “great, terrific”, and ''pas terrible'' means mediocre.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1160 – ''Mostres terribles'', ''Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1580 – Of extreme intensity, Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1587 – Of people, La Noue.^(TLFi)

+ * 1669 – ''Le terrible'', in tragedy, La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1672 – ''Femme terrible'', Molière.^(TLFi)

+ * 1841 – ''Les Enfants terribles''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|terrible]], [[m|en|dreadful]], frightening: ''un cri terrible'', ''une terrible catastrophe''.^(GLLF 1989)^(TLFi)

+ # Extreme, tremendous: ''un vent terrible'', ''une peur terrible''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Unbearable, very trying: ''un enfant terrible''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Great, terrific: ''c'est un film terrible'', ''pas terrible'', not great, mediocre.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[terriblement]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[terreur]]

+ * [[terrifier]]

+ * [[terroriser]]

+ * [[la|terribilis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}