giant

Where does the word "giant" come from? It comes from Latin gigas, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Giant’s story begins in Latin: gigas meant “giant.” From Greek 'gigas', the giants who fought the Olympian gods. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as geant. Replaced Old English 'eoten' and 'ent'. It reached English by 1200s as giant. Used as an adjective for huge things since the 1800s. Today, giant means a being of enormous size.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient gigas "giant", from Greek 'gigas', the giants who fought the Olympian gods.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval geant "giant", replaced Old English 'eoten' and 'ent'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s giant "a huge being", used as an adjective for huge things since the 1800s.