Etymograph

English

monstrous

Monstrous comes from Latin mōnstruōsus ‘strange, preternatural, monstrous’, from Proto-Italic *moneō ‘to remind, warn’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-1‘to think, mind’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti1‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructedderived within Proto-Indo-European
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moneō1‘to remind, warn’reconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*monestrom1reconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōnstrum1‘portent, monstrosity’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōnstruōsus2as mōnstrōsus‘strange, preternatural, monstrous’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400monstrueuse2
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monstrous2
  10. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599monstrous2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin monstruosus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English monstrous
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “So bad a death argues a monstrous life.”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-Wiktionary, Latin monstruosus‘to think, mind’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyetiWiktionary, Latin monstruosus‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructedderived within Proto-Indo-European
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*man-eje-Wiktionary, Latin monstruosusreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moneōWiktionary, Latin monstruosus‘to remind, warn’reconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*monestromWiktionary, Latin monstruosusreconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōnstrumWiktionary, Latin monstruosus‘portent, monstrosity’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōnstruōsusWiktionary, English monstrousas mōnstrōsus‘strange, preternatural, monstrous’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400monstrueuseWiktionary, English monstrous
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500monstrousWiktionary, English monstrous
  10. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599monstrousWiktionary, English monstrous. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “So bad a death argues a monstrous life.”

Equivalent to monster + -ous

Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’

…

Proto-Italic *monestrom

Latin mōnstrum ‘omen, portent; monster’

Old French monstre

Middle English monstre ‘a monster or beast’

English monster

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’

mind, music, money, comment, mental, remain, amount, permanent, mention, museum, auto, mouth, min, mountain, mount, mentor, mint, maya, monetary, dementia, imminent, eminent, menace, ming, mas, mandarin, monk, amnesty, mania, prominence, mosaic, muse, amnesia, manic, mantra, remnant, monte, eminence, monastery, mantis, 113 more

through Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’

summon, 15 more

through Proto-Italic *man-eje-

monumental, 15 more

through Proto-Italic *moneō ‘to remind, warn’

monitor, monument, muster, minter, admonition, admonish, 16 more

through Latin mōnstrum ‘portent, monstrosity’

demonstration, demonstrative, 9 more

Today it means

adj Hideous or frightful.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “monstrous”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin monstruosus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / monstrous

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