Merveillous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling of marvellous, describing something so wonderful or astonishing that it provokes amazement
2. An older form of the modern word for something wondrous, extraordinary, and beyond ordinary experience
3. Old spelling for a term meaning excellent or astonishing, used of things that inspire great wonder in people

Etymology: "Merveillous" is the Middle English spelling of what became "marvellous," borrowed from Old French "merveilleux," itself built from Latin "mirabilis," meaning "wonderful" or "to be wondered at." The Latin root "mirari," to wonder, also gave English "admire" and "miracle," so the word shares ancestry with those terms. Old French "merveille" (marvel) was the noun, and "-eux" is the adjective suffix, giving "full of marvel." English speakers borrowed the word in the Middle Ages, and spelling varied widely before standardisation, so "merveillous" appears alongside forms like "merveylous" in manuscripts.