formidableyoudaoicibaDictYouDict[formidable 词源字典]
formidable: [15] Latin formīdō meant ‘fear’ (it may have links with Greek mormó ‘bugbear, goblin’, which came from an Indo-European *mormo). From it was derived the verb formīdāre, which in turn produced the adjective formīdābilis, which English originally acquired in the literal sense ‘inspiring fear’. The weaker ‘impressive in size, difficulty, etc’ is a 17thcentury development.
[formidable etymology, formidable origin, 英语词源]
formidable (adj.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
mid-15c., "causing fear," from Middle French formidable (15c.), from Latin formidabilis "causing fear, terrible," from formidare "to fear," from formido "fearfulness, fear, terror, dread." Sense has softened somewhat over time, in the direction of "so great (in strength, size, etc.) as to discourage effort." Related: Formidably.