orgulous

English

WOTD – 14 January 2013

Alternative forms

• orgueilous

Etymology

From Middle English orgulous, orgeilous, from Old French orgueilleus, orgoillus (“proud”), from orgoill, orgueil (“pride”), from Old Low Frankish *urgol (“pride”). Cognate with Old High German urguol (“excellent”), Old English orgel (“pride”), perhaps from a Proto-Germanic *uzgōljō, equivalent to or- (“out”) *gōl (“boast; showiness; pomp; splendor”), related to Old English galan (“to sing”) (whence Modern English gale). Also perhaps partly from Old French orgoill, from Vulgar Latin *orgōllia, *orgōlla, from Frankish *orgōllja, from the same Proto-Germanic source. Cognate with Old High German urguol, urguoli, urgilo (“pride”) and Spanish orgullo.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɔːɡjʊləs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹɡjələs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

orgulous (comparative more orgulous, superlative most orgulous)

1. Proud; haughty; disdainful.
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur, Macmillan and Co. (1891), page 52 (Book II, Chapter IV):

     At that time there was a knight, the which was the king's son of Ireland, and his name was Lanceor, the which was an orgulous knight, and counted himself one of the best of the court; and he had great despite at Balin for the achieving of the sword, that any should be accounted more hardy, or of more prowess.

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, Episode 14:

     Then spoke young Stephen orgulous of mother Church that would cast him out of her bosom.

   • 1966, Eric Walter White, Stravinsky the Composer and his Works, University of California Press (1966), page 5:

     Her nephew describes her as 'an orgulous and despotic woman', and it is clear that he noticed and resented her numerous unkindnesses.

   • 1975, Georgette Heyer, My Lord John, Arrow Books (2011), →ISBN, pages 14-15:

     They knew that my lord of Arundel had grown so orgulous that he had lately dared to marry the Earl of March's sister, without license.

2. Ostentatious; showy.
3. Swollen; augmented; excessive.
   • 1967, John T. Sladek, Masterson and the Clerks, reprinted in Best SF Stories from New Worlds 4, edited by Michael Moorcock

     The smile became an orange balloon, orgulous and threatening.

4. Threatening; dangerous.

Derived terms

• orgulously

Related terms

• orgueil

Translations

proud, haughty

• Armenian: գոռոզ (hy) (goṙoz), ամբարտավան (hy) (ambartavan)
• Dutch: hoogmoedig (nl), hooghartig (nl)
• Finnish: ylpeä (fi), koppava
• French: fier (fr), hautain (fr), dédaigneux (fr), méprisant (fr), orgueilleux (fr) m, vaniteux (fr) m
• German: stolz (de)
• Italian: orgoglioso (it) m, altezzoso (it), fiero (it)

• Japanese: 誇り高き (hokoritakaki)
• Portuguese: orgulhoso (pt) m
• Russian: го́рдый (ru) (górdyj)
• Spanish: orgulloso (es) m
• Swedish: högmodig (sv), högfärdig (sv)
• Westrobothnian: stömmel brȧtt, krifwustin, kräfwustin, modd

ostentatious, showy

• Finnish: komea (fi), näyttävä (fi)
• French: ostentatoire (fr)

• Italian: ostentato (it), appariscente (it), vistoso (it)
• Japanese: 派手な (hadena)

swollen, augmented, excessive

• Dutch: vergroot (nl), overmatige (nl)
• Finnish: paisunut (fi), koppava
• French: excessif (fr), ampoulé (fr)

• German: ergänzt (de), übermäßige (de)
• Italian: aumentato (it), eccessivo (it), smodato (it)
• Spanish: aumentada (es), excesiva (es)

threatening, dangerous

• Danish: truende, farlig (da)
• Dutch: bedreigend (nl), gevaarlijk (nl)
• Finnish: uhkaava (fi)
• French: menaçant (fr), dangereux (fr)
• German: bedrohlich (de), gefährlich (de)
• Italian: minaccioso (it), pericoloso (it)

• Norwegian: truende, farlig
• Persian: خطرناک‎ (fa)
• Portuguese: ameaçador
• Spanish: amenazante (es), peligroso (es)
• Swedish: hotande (sv), farlig (sv)