hideous

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂egʰ-“to frighten”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*agaz“terror, fear”
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*agisōn“to frighten, terrorise”
4. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*agisiþu“horror, terror”
5. Old French · derived fromhisda“horror, fear”
6. Old French · derived fromhideus
7. Anglo-Norman · derived fromhidous
8. Middle English · inherited fromhidous
9. English todayhideous

From Middle English hidous, from Anglo-Norman hidous, from Old French hideus, hydus (“that which inspires terror”), from earlier hisdos, from Old French hisda (“horror, fear”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Probably from Proto-West Germanic *agisiþu (“horror, terror”), from Proto-West Germanic *agisōn (“to frighten, terrorise”), from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to frighten”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egidī (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (agis, “fear, terror”). Alternative etymology cites possible derivation from Latin hispidosus (“rugged”), from hispidus (“rough, bristly”), yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.

Words from the same roots