English
beauteous
Beauteous comes from Anglo-Norman beauté, from Vulgar Latin *bellitātem ‘beauty’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *dwenos ‘good’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dwenos‘good’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEduenos
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*duenelosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellus‘pretty’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*bellitātem‘beauty’reconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400beauté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beaute‘the quality of being physically appealing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500beautevous‘Physically appealing’
- Englishearliest quotation 1609beauteous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dwenos‘good’reconstructed
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEduenos
- Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCE*duenelosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellus‘pretty’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*bellitātem‘beauty’reconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400beauté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beaute‘the quality of being physically appealing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500beautevous‘Physically appealing’
- Englishearliest quotation 1609beauteous
Earliest quotation: 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 34: “VVhy didſt thou promiſe ſuch a beautious day, And…”
Formed from beauty + -ous
Proto-Italic *dwenos ‘good’
…
Latin bellus ‘beautiful, pretty’
Vulgar Latin *bellitātem ‘beauty’
Old French beauté
Middle English bewty
English beauty
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- ‘to fit’
down, town, tool, dynamic, teen, dynasty, tow, dun, dynamo, dynastic, tine, taw, benefice, 93 more
through Proto-Italic *dwenos ‘good’
ben, bonus, optimal, beneficial, rebellion, bonnie, optimism, boon, beneficiary, rebellious, bonny, bene, rebelling, bonbon, 37 more
through Old Latin duenos
through Old Latin *duenelos
rebel, revel, bellicose, 19 more
through Latin bellus ‘pretty’
boo, bello, beal, bauble, beaucoup, 5 more
through Middle English beaute ‘the quality of being physically appealing’
Today it means
adj beautiful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *dwenos / beauteous