English
infamous
Infamous comes from Medieval Latin īnfāmōsus ‘notorious, infamous’, from Latin fāma ‘repute, fame’, 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*bʰéh₂meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāmā‘something said about another’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfāma‘repute, fame’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnfāmis‘disreputable, notorious, infamous’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500īnfāmōsus‘notorious, infamous’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enfamouse
- Englishearliest quotation 1791infamous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāmā‘something said about another’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfāma‘repute, fame’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnfāmis‘disreputable, notorious, infamous’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500īnfāmōsus‘notorious, infamous’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enfamouse
- Englishearliest quotation 1791infamous
Earliest quotation: 1791, James Madison et al: “No person shall be held to answer for a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
phone, professor, focus, fuel, ben, phase, ban, favor, fantasy, photographer, favourite, emphasis, fancy, phenomenon, profession, fate, bee, abandon, fatal, fairy, phantom, symphony, beacon, confession, beck, confess, fabulous, boon, eff, infant, bane, prophetic, epiphany, fab, foyer, banish, fay, buoy, fable, profess, 127 more
through Proto-Italic *fāmā ‘something said about another’
through Latin fāma ‘repute, fame’
Today it means
adj Having a bad reputation; disreputable; notorious; unpleasant or evil; widely known, especially for something scornful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / infamous