English
abnormous
Abnormous comes from Latin abnormis ‘deviating or departing from a fixed rule or…’, and goes back to norma.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnorma‘rule’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabnormis‘deviating or departing from a fixed rule or standard’
- Englishearliest quotation 1777abnormous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnorma‘rule’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabnormis‘deviating or departing from a fixed rule or standard’
- Englishearliest quotation 1777abnormous
Earliest quotation: 1777, Edward Ledwich, Antiquitates Sarisburienses: Or: “Sir Toby Matthews was a character equally , if…”
Formed from -ous
The story
For more, see normal.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, know, could, note, notice, recognize, recognition, narrative, con, ken, glory, keen, ignore, cognitive, noble, notion, ignorant, diagnostic, cunning, cognition, narration, notation, nobility, quaint, notorious, prognosis, incognito, gnome, notary, canny, notoriety, agnostic, connoisseur, normative, canna, kith, uncouth, recognizance, cognizance, gnosis, 88 more
through Ancient Greek γνώμων ‘examiner, carpenter's square’
through Latin norma ‘rule’
Today it means
adj Abnormal; irregular; misshapen.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin norma / abnormous