the word 'wondrous' is a late middle english formation, originating from the obsolete noun 'wonder' combined with the suffix '-ous'. the noun 'wonder' itself has old english roots in the word 'wundor', meaning a marvelous thing or a miracle, which is of germanic origin. the suffix '-ous', borrowed from latin '-osus', denotes possessing a quality or being full of something. therefore, 'wondrous' literally means "full of wonder" or "characterized by wonder," a sense that has remained consistent from its formation to its modern usage describing something extraordinarily good or beautiful.

the word is a simplex form derived from the noun 'wonder' with the adjectival suffix '-ous'. it is not segmentable into independent morphemes from the perspective of the current english spelling without altering the base form ('wondr' is not a standalone morpheme).