hideus

Old French

Alternative forms

• hydus
• hidous (Anglo-Norman)

Etymology

From earlier hisdos, hisdus, from hisda (“horror, fear”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Probably from Frankish *egisda, *egisida (“terror, fright”), from Proto-Germanic *agisiþō (“horror, terror”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egidī (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (agis, “fear, terror”).

Alternative etymology cites possible derivation from Latin hispidosus (“rugged”), from hispidus (“rough, bristly”), yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.

Adjective

hideus m (oblique and nominative feminine singular hideuse)

1. ugly; hideous
   • circa 1170, Christian of Troyes, Yvain ou le Chevalier au Lion:

     Grans et hideus a desmesure
     Et si tres laide creature […]

     Big and ugly beyond belief
     Such an ugly creature

Descendants

• Anglo-Norman: hidous
  • → Middle English: hidous
    • English: hideous
    • Middle Scots: hidous, hidows, hidowis, hidwis, hidduus
      • Scots: hideous
• Middle French: hideux, hideus
  • French: hideux