hardy

Pronunciation: /ˈhɑɹdi/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957)
  2. noun English novelist and poet (1840-1928)
  3. adjective having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

Etymology

From Middle English hardy, hardi, from Old French hardi (“hardy, daring, stout, bold”). Old French hardi is usually regarded as the past participle of hardir ("to harden, be bold, make bold"; compare Occitan ardir, Italian ardire), from Frankish *hardijan; but it may also have come directly from Frankish *hardi, a secondary form of Frankish *hard (compare Old High German harti, herti, secondary forms of Old High German hart (“hard”)); or even yet from Frankish *hardig (compare Middle Low German herdich (“persevering”), Old Danish hærdig, Norwegian herdig, Swedish härdig (“vigorous, courageous”)). Cognate with hard. May have at some point also been surface analysed as hard + -y.

In classic literature

Synonyms

Oliver Hardy

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