Where does “enormously” come from?
Enormously derives from English enormous, from Latin enormis (deviating from the norm), from Latin norma (rule or standard) and the prefix ex- (out of), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- (to know).
enormously (English): Extremely, greatly: to an enormous degree;...
Definitions
- Extremely, greatly: to an enormous degree;...
Ancestry of “enormously”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | enormous | Deviating from the norm; unusual, extraordinary;... |
| 2 | Latin | ēnōrmis | — |
| 3 | Latin | nōrma | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | γνώμων | interpreter, discerner; carpenter's square;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | γιγνώσκω | I am aware of; I perceive, observe, know, learn;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₃sḱéti | to recognise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |