English

hyperformal

From hyper- + formal.

Proto-Indo-European *úp

Proto-Indo-European *upér ‘over, above’

Proto-Hellenic *hupér

Ancient Greek ὑπέρ ‘over’

Latin fōrma ‘form’

Latin fōrmālis ‘formal, of form’

Old French formel ‘formal’

Middle English formel

Today it means

adj Very highly formal; formal for formality's sake.

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

Etymograph / hyperformal