Where does “monstrosity” come from?
Monstrosity comes from Middle English monstruosite, derived from Late Latin monstrositas, which comes from Latin monstrosus meaning abnormal or unnatural.
monstrosity (English): An organism showing abnormal development or...
Definitions
- An organism showing abnormal development or...
Ancestry of “monstrosity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | monstruosite | — |
| 2 | French | monstruosité | monstrosity |
| 3 | Latin | monstruositas | — |
| 4 | Latin | monstruosus | strange, preternatural, monstrous |
| 5 | Latin | mōnstrum | a divine omen indicating misfortune, an evil omen, portent |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | monestrom | — |