Odius

Odius is a rarely used English adjective that appears as a historical or dialectal variant of odious. In some early modern texts and dictionaries, odius is listed as an obsolete form meaning “extremely unpleasant” or “causing strong dislike.” Because it is not standard in modern English, its presence is typically cited in discussions of historical spelling variation and orthographic change.

Etymology: The form is linked to Latin odiosus, meaning hateful or odious. Through the typical channels of Latin-to-English transmission, odiosus contributed to the development of the modern adjective odious. Odius may represent a clipped or alternate spelling that appeared in certain manuscripts, printers’ hands, or dialectal usage, rather than being a separate etymon.

Usage: In present-day writing, odius is generally considered archaic or erroneous. Editors and lexicographers usually recommend odious for the sense of repugnance or moral blame. When used, it is most common in discussions of language history, philology, or in stylized, deliberately archaising prose to evoke antiquity.

See also: Odious, Odiousness, Latin adjectives in English.