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-West Germanic *agisiþu (“horror, terror”), related to *agisōn (“to horrify”).

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)

ugly; hideous
- c. 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

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