English
fabulous
Fabulous comes from Latin fābulōsus ‘celebrated in fable’, from fābula ‘discourse, narrative’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak, to be talking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāōr‘to speak’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfor
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfābula‘discourse, narrative’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfābulōsus‘celebrated in fable’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fabulous
- Englishearliest quotation 1949fabulous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂ti‘to speak, to be talking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāōr‘to speak’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfor
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfābula‘discourse, narrative’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfābulōsus‘celebrated in fable’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fabulous
- Englishearliest quotation 1949fabulous
Earliest quotation: 1949, Joseph Campbell, The Hero and the God: “[F]abulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory…”
Formed from fable + -ous
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
…
Proto-Italic *fāōr ‘to speak’
Latin for ‘to speak, say’
Latin fābula
Old French fable ‘fable, story’
English fable
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
phone, professor, focus, fuel, ben, phase, ban, favor, fantasy, photographer, favourite, famous, emphasis, fancy, phenomenon, profession, fate, fame, bee, fatal, confession, fairy, abandon, confess, infant, phantom, symphony, beacon, beck, boon, bane, epiphany, foyer, banish, fay, profess, bene, banal, buoy, fantasia, 122 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti ‘to speak, to be talking’
through Latin for
eff, affable, ineffable, 12 more
through Latin fābula ‘discourse, narrative’
through Middle English fabulous
Today it means
adj Of or relating to fable, myth or legend.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / fabulous