huge English · revision 2603

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing, clipping|attested=c. 1150}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /hjuːdʒ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|huge]], also hoge,^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) apparently [[bor|fro|ahuge|t=extremely large, enormous; mighty]], also ahoge, in a shortened form,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(SOED 2002) of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) Klein derives it from Old French a hoge “on high”, with a word of Germanic origin related to Old Norse haugr “mound”, but the other dictionaries call the origin unknown.^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Extremely large: probably about 1150^(Barnhart 1988) or the mid-12th century.^(Etymonline) The OED's first quotation is from before 1275.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of immaterial things it is from the 14th century,^(OED 1989) and of persons, “very great in power or attributes”, from about 1400.^(OED 1989) “Very numerous” is a rare sense from 1570.^(OED 1989) An obsolete adverb, “hugely, immensely”, was used in the 15th century.^(OED 1989) Compounds such as ''huge-bellied'' and ''huge-boned'' are from 1599.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1150 – extremely large.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 14th century – of immaterial things.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – of persons.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570 – very numerous.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Extremely large in size or amount; [[enormous]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Very great in scope or extent.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[hugely]]

+ * [[hugeness]]

+ * [[overhuge]]

+ * [[hugeous]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[enormous]]

+ * [[vast]]

+ * [[immense]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}