English
superb
Superb comes from Latin superbus ‘proud, rude, supercilious, arrogant, haughty,…’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *superiðos.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*superiðosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperbus‘proud, rude, supercilious, arrogant, haughty, uncivil, insolent, discourteous’
- Englishearliest quotation 1858superb
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*superiðosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuperbus‘proud, rude, supercilious, arrogant, haughty, uncivil, insolent, discourteous’
- Englishearliest quotation 1858superb
Earliest quotation: 1858, Julia Kavanagh, Adèle: “A remark which Isabella received with a superb curl…”
Every English word from Proto-Italic *superiðos
Today it means
adj First-rate; of the highest quality; exceptionally good.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *superiðos / superb