English
follies
Follies comes from French folie ‘madness, folly, insanity’, from Old French fol ‘mad’, and ultimately from Latin follis ‘bellows’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfollis‘bellows’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fol‘mad’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400folie‘madness’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame formas folies‘madness, folly, insanity’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014follies
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfollis‘bellows’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fol‘mad’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400folie‘madness’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame formas folies‘madness, folly, insanity’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014follies
Earliest quotation: 2014: “It has been a long time since new follies…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- ‘to swell’
budget, belly, bloc, bulge, budge, bolster, bellows, billow, 14 more
through Latin follis ‘bellows’
through Old French fol ‘mad’
through Old French folie ‘madness’
Today it means
noun A lavishly-produced theatrical revue characterized by major stars, huge casts, and opulent costumes and scenery.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin follis / follies