abhominal

English edit

Etymology edit

From Latin abhominalis, from ab (“away from”) + hominis (“man”), but in practice from English abominable, which was erroneously folk-etymologized as this word, leading to this spelling and abhominable, which see for more.^[1]

Adjective edit

abhominal (comparative more abhominal, superlative most abhominal)

(obsolete) Inhuman; obsolete form of abominable.
- 1826, Thomas Wright (of Ludlow.), The history and antiquities of ... Ludlow; with lives of the presidents, and accounts of gentlemen's seats, &c, page 65:
  Tyrrel was, on the accession of Henry VII. arraigned, and after a full confession beheaded on Tower hill; and King Richard himself, "after this abhominal dede dooen never was quiet in his minde, he never ...
- 1840, Thomas Fuller, The History of the University of Cambridge, London: Printed for T. Tegg by J. Nichols, page 517:
  Reader, what could I have written more fully and freely in the cordial detestation of such abhominal* libels?
  […]
  This is one of Fuller's humorous exemplifications of verbal criticisms, deriving our common word "abominable" from ab and homo, homonis, and thus converting it into the very expressive term abhominal, "unworthy of a man," "unmanly,", "inhuman."—EDIT.

References edit

^ See quotations below, and e.g. James Mitchell, Significant Etymology: Or, Roots, Stems, and Branches of the English Language (1908), page 17: "The customary spelling of [abominable] in old writers is abhominable, on the supposition that the true etymology was ab + homine—i.e., "apart from man," "repugnant to humanity," and meant "unbecoming a man," "inhuman." This was favoured by Augustine in one of his sermons. Hence also the independent formation abhominal used by Fuller and others, and in old English books it is often used in a sense corresponding to its supposed origin, nor has it as yet fully recovered its proper meaning."

[1] See quotations below, and e.g. James Mitchell, Significant Etymology: Or, Roots, Stems, and Branches of the English Language (1908), page 17: "The customary spelling of [abominable] in old writers is abhominable, on the supposition that the true etymology was ab + homine—i.e., "apart from man," "repugnant to humanity," and meant "unbecoming a man," "inhuman." This was favoured by Augustine in one of his sermons. Hence also the independent formation abhominal used by Fuller and others, and in old English books it is often used in a sense corresponding to its supposed origin, nor has it as yet fully recovered its proper meaning."

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