Where does “merveilous” come from?
merveilous (Middle English) comes from Old French merveillus, from Old French merveille, from Vulgar Latin miribilia, from Latin mīrābilia, from Latin mīrābilis, from Latin mīror, from Latin mīrus, from Proto-Italic smeiros — to smile; to smear, stroke, wipe, rub; to be...
merveilous (Middle English): Astounding, breathtaking, unexpected; resulting...
Definitions
- Astounding, breathtaking, unexpected; resulting...
Ancestry of “merveilous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | merveillus | enormous, giant |
| 2 | Old French | merveille | wonder; marvel |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | miribilia | — |
| 4 | Latin | mīrābilia | — |
| 5 | Latin | mīrābilis | wonderful, marvellous, astonishing, extraordinary, remarkable, amazing |
| 6 | Latin | mīror | to be astonished at, marvel at, admire, be amazed at, wonder at |
| 7 | Latin | mīrus | wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | smeiros | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sméyros | laughing, smiling |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | smey- | to smile; to smear, stroke, wipe, rub; to be... |