Etymograph

English

formidable

Formidable comes from Latin formīdābilis ‘formidable, terrible’, and goes back to formīdō ‘fear, dread’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEformīdō‘fear, dread’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEformīdābilis‘formidable, terrible’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400formidable
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1823same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEformīdō‘fear, dread’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEformīdābilis‘formidable, terrible’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400formidable
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1823same form

Earliest quotation: 1823, Walter Scott, The Contrast: “The latter part of the fifteenth century prepared a…”

Formed from -able

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to hold’

drug, dark, dry, drama, firm, throne, dare, drain, drone, drastic, refrain, feasible, darn, dharma, dazed, dor, dern, 42 more

Today it means

adj Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin formīdō / formidable

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