prodigious

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English

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WOTD – 30 June 2024

Etymology

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *per-
    Proto-Indo-European *pró
    Proto-Indo-European *pro-
    Proto-Italic *pro-
    Latin prō-
    Latin aiō
    Latin -ium
    Latin -ōsus
    Middle English prodigious
    English prodigious

    The adjective is derived from Late Middle English prodigious (“warning of disaster, portentous”),[1] from Latin prōdigiōsus (“strange, unnatural; marvellous, wonderful, prodigious”), from prōdigium (“prophetic sign, omen, portent; prodigy, wonder”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of’ forming adjectives from nouns).[2] Prōdigium is derived from prō- (prefix denoting a forward direction, something before or prior, or prominence) + aiō (“to say, speak”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵ- (“to say”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The English word is analysable as prodigy +‎ -ous.

    The adverb is derived from the adjective.[2]

    cognates

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    prodigious (comparative more prodigious, superlative most prodigious)

    1. Extraordinarily amazing.
      1. In a positive sense: marvellous, wonderful; (specifically) extremely talented, especially at a young age.
        Synonym: (at a young age) precocious
        • 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Relations of the Discoveries, Regions, and Religions, of the New World.] Of Florida.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book VIII (Of New France, Virginia, Florida; New Spaine, with Other Regions of America Mexicana, and of Their Religions), page 642:
          Iohn Ponce aforeſaid [i.e., Juan Ponce de León] hearing a rumour of a prodigious vvell, vvhich (as the Poets tell of Medea) vvould make olde men become young againe, plaid the yongling to goe ſearch it ſix monethes together, and in that inquirie diſcouers this Continent: […]
        • 1907 January 30, Henry James, “Washington”, in The American Scene, London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, section IV, page 355:
          […] Lafayette Square itself, contiguous to the Executive Mansion, could create a rich sense of the past by the use of scarce other witchcraft than its command of that pleasant perspective and its possession of the most prodigious of all Presidential effigies, Andrew Jackson, as archaic as a Ninevite king, prancing and rocking through the ages.
      2. In a negative sense: appalling, horrifying, shocking; (specifically, archaic) abnormal, freakish, monstrous, unnatural.
        Synonyms: see Thesaurus:monstrous, Thesaurus:strange
        Antonyms: see Thesaurus:normal
    2. Very big in extent, quantity, or size; abundant; intense; colossal, huge.
      (extent, quantity): Synonyms: extreme, prolific
      (size): Synonyms: enormous, gigantic; see also Thesaurus:large
      (size): Antonyms: see Thesaurus:small, Thesaurus:tiny
      • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XII.] Of Certain Thornes and Fig-trees of India.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 360:
        [T]he figges […] are a fruit for a king, anſvverable to the mightie, huge, and prodigious tree that beareth it.
      • a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Cornwall”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC, page 199:
        This Urſula is ſaid to have carried over out of Britain, eleven thouſand Maids of prime quality, beſides threeſcore thouſand of meaner rank, (ſeventy one thouſand in all, a prodigious number,) to be married to ſo many in little Britain in France. Prepoſterous in my mind, to proffer themſelves, and it had argued more modeſty if their Husbands had fetcht them hence.
      • 1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “How John Look’d Over His Attorney’s Bill”, in Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 20:
        VVHEN John firſt brought out the Bills, the Surprize of all the Family vvas unexpreſſible, at the prodigious Dimenſions of them; […]
      • 1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the Second]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume II, London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC, page 188:
        [I]t [a penis] vvas poſitively of ſo tremendous a ſize, […] you might have troll'd dice ſecurely along the broad back of the body of it: the length of it too vvas prodigious; […]
      • 1820, William Hazlitt, “Lecture I. Introductory.”, in Lectures Chiefly on the Dramatic Literature of the Age of Elizabeth. […], London: Stodart and Steuart, […]; Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute, →OCLC, page 2:
        [T]hey were not the spoiled children of affectation and refinement, but a bold, vigorous, independent race of thinkers, with prodigious strength and energy, with none but natural grace, and heartfelt unobtrusive delicacy.
    3. (archaic or obsolete) Having the nature of an omen or portent; ominous, portentous.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Adverb

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    prodigious (comparative more prodigious, superlative most prodigious)

    1. (archaic) Synonym of prodigiously (“in a prodigious manner”).

    Translations

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    References

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    1. ^ “prōdiǧiǒus, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 “prodigious, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2023; “prodigious, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

    Further reading

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    Middle English

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      Adjective

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      prodigious

      1. portentous
      2. astonishing, appalling

      References

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