[go: up one dir, main page]
Advertisement

Origin and history of famous

famous(adj.)

late 14c., "celebrated in public report, renowned, well-known" also "notorious, infamous," from Anglo-French famous, Old French fameus (Modern French fameux), from Latin famosus "much talked of, renowned," often "infamous, notorious, of ill repute," from fama (from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say"). A native word for this was Old English namcuð, literally "name-known." Catch phrase famous last words in the humorous sense "remark likely to prove fatally wrong" is attested from 1921 (early lists of them include "Let's see if it's loaded ... We'll get across before the train comes ... Which one is the third rail? ... Light up, it can't explode").

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to famous

famously(adv.)

mid-15c., "commonly," from famous + -ly (2). From 1570s as "with celebrity;" from c. 1600 in colloquial sense "remarkably well."

infamous(adj.)

a 16c. merger of two Middle English words, with the form of infamous "not well-known" (early 15c.) and the sense of infamis (late 14c.), "of ill repute, famous for badness." Infamous is from Medieval Latin infamosus, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin famosus "celebrated" (see famous). Infamis is from Latin infamis "of ill fame" (see infamy).

Meaning "causing infamy" is from 1550s. As a legal term, "disqualified from certain rights of citizens because of conviction for certain crimes" (late 14c.). The neutral fameless (in the sense original to infamous) is recorded from 1590s. Related: Infamously.

Advertisement

More to explore

illustrious
1560s, "distinguished by greatness, renowned," from Latin illustris "lighted, bright, brilliant;" figuratively "distinguished, famous," probably a back-formation from illustrare "make light, light up, illuminate," figuratively "embellish, distinguish, make famous" (see illustrati
notable
mid-14c., "worthy of note, important, praiseworthy," from Old French notable "well-known, notable, remarkable" (13c.), from Latin notabilis "noteworthy, extraordinary," from notare "to mark, note, make a note," from nota "mark, sign, means of recognition" (see note (n.)). Meaning
celebrity
The meaning "condition of being famous" is from c. 1600; that of "a famous person" is from 1849....
celebrate
perform publicly with appropriate rites," originally of the Mass, from Latin celebratus "much-frequented; kept solemn; famous...to frequent in great numbers," from celeber "frequented, populous, crowded;" with transferred senses of "well-attended; famous...
renown
state of having an exalted name," from Anglo-French renoun, Old French renon "renown, fame, reputation," from renomer "make famous...Medieval Latin had renominare "to make famous;" Old French renominer seems to have meant "name over, repeat, rename."...
worthy
Attested from late 14c. as a noun meaning "person of merit" (especially in Nine Worthies, famous men of history and legend...
Scutum
Polish monarch famous as the savior of Christendom for his victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vienna (1683)....
last
c. 1200, "latest, final, following all others," a contraction of Old English latost (adj.) "slowest, latest," superlative of læt (see late); in some uses from late (adv.). Cognate with Old Frisian lest, Dutch laatst, Old High German laggost, German letzt. Meaning "last in space,
prerogative
"special right or privilege granted to someone; characteristic right inhering in one's nature, office, or position," late 14c., prerogatif, (in Anglo-Latin from late 13c.), from Old French prerogative (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin prerogativa "special right," from Latin
tangle
mid-14c., tanglen, "encumber, enmesh, knit together confusedly," a shortening of entangle in some cases, in others probably a nasalized variant of tagilen "to involve in a difficult situation, entangle," from a Scandinavian source (compare dialectal Swedish taggla "to disorder,"

Share famous

Advertisement
Trending
Dictionary entries near famous
Advertisement