# This "Heinous" thing **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013 **Category:** Factual Questions **Created:** [May 9, 2000, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013 "2000-05-09T15:56:43Z") **Posts on this page:** 4 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![BELASCO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/34f0e0/32.png) [@BELASCO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BELASCO) #### Post date: [May 9, 2000, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013/1 "2000-05-09T15:56:43Z")
I Posted something a while back about the origin if the word “Heinous”. I need more info for this word. I was looking for a compleate disection of this word into its parts. like aquaduct: aqua=latin for water. duct=something like pipe. this word first became used when the romans built plumbing. plumbing plumb=lead,latin. ing=english for ing. something like this but for the word HEINOUS. I would like some history associated with this word. PLEASE! ---
### Author: ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker) #### Post date: [May 9, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013/2 "2000-05-09T16:04:17Z")
It has the same linguistic root as “hate” or “hatred.” (OED) Now save up some of that beer money and buy yourself a decent dictionary. ---
### Author: ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl) #### Post date: [May 9, 2000, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013/3 "2000-05-09T16:25:49Z")
Heinous presumably comes from the French word “haineux”, which means “hateful”. “Un propos haineux” is “hate speech”. ---
### Author: ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer) #### Post date: [May 9, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heinous-thing/19013/4 "2000-05-09T16:37:50Z")
Cripes, look it up in a dictionary. Main Entry: **hei·nous** Pronunciation: 'hA-n&s Function: _adjective_ Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French _haineus_, from _haine_ hate, from _hair_ to hate, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German _haz_ hate – see more at: HATE Date: 14th century : hatefully or shockingly evil : abominable [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) for the Merriam-Webster dictionary [http://www.onelook.com](http://www.onelook.com) allows you to search several dictionaries simultaneously.