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

Adjective

orgulous (comparative more orgulous, superlative most orgulous)

  1. Proud; haughty; disdainful.
    • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London: [] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur [], London: David Nutt, [], 1889, OCLC 890162034:
    • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1: Telemachus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, [], OCLC 560090630, part I [Telemachia], page 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, 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, →ISBN, page 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.
  4. Threatening; dangerous.

Derived terms

Translations

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