While we're on trivia, the etymology of this word is the Latin for "leaving the flock." The Japanese word 抜群, meaning "exceptional," has this exact same etymology except by way of Chinese rather than Latin.

There’s a number that change over time; awful and terrible for example. Very old hymns talk about how awful and terrible God is, for example.

I mean, it's accurate either way, at least in the Old Testament.

Ah yes, this is indeed the subject of a Terry Pratchett bit about elves in "Lords and Ladies"

> Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder. Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels. Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror. The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning. No one ever said elves are nice. Elves are bad.