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Etymology edit

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 edit

Adjective edit

orgulous (comparative more orgulous, superlative most orgulous)

  1. Proud; haughty; disdainful.
    • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum IV”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book II, [London: [] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur [], London: David Nutt, [], 1889, →OCLC, page 52:
      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.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1: Telemachus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, [], →OCLC, 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[1], 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[2], Arrow Books, published 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.
  4. Threatening; dangerous.

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