tremendously
Meaning
to a very great degree or extent; extremely.
Structure
Usage
the project was tremendously successful, exceeding all expectations.
she is a tremendously talented musician with a bright future.
we are tremendously grateful for all your help and support.
Etymology
The adverb "tremendously" originates from the Latin verb tremere, meaning "to tremble or quake with fear". This root passed into Latin and later English, forming the adjective "tremendous", which initially meant "such as to cause trembling" or "dreadful, awful". The suffix "-ous" was added to create the adjective form, literally "full of trembling". Over time, the meaning weakened and hyperbolically shifted from inspiring dread to inspiring awe, eventually signifying something extraordinarily large or great. The final addition of the Old English adverbial suffix "-ly" transformed it into the modern intensifier, denoting an action performed to an extreme degree, its connection to physical trembling now entirely metaphorical.
Analysis
- tremen: from latin tremere (to tremble, quake). this root forms the core semantic element. - ous: a suffix of latin origin via french, used to form adjectives meaning "full of" or "having the quality of". - ly: a suffix of old english origin, used to form adverbs from adjectives.