The shift in meaning of "egregious": How did a term that once meant "standing out in excellence" turn into a word for "flagrant disaster"?

Let's break down the evolution of "egregious" and explore how its meaning shifted from positive to negative. Initially, "egregious" did indeed mean "standing out in excellence" or being "distinguished" from the rest. This sense of the word is still visible in the mathematical concept you mentioned, Theorema Egregium. However, over time, the word started to take on a more nuanced meaning. In the 17th and 18th centuries, "egregious" began to be used to describe something that stood out, not necessarily in a positive light. For example, it might describe a person's outrageous behavior or a glaring error. This shift in meaning was likely driven by the way people used the word in everyday conversation and writing. As for whether irony or sarcasm played a role in this shift, it's possible that writers and speakers used "egregious" in a tongue-in-cheek way to convey that something was not as impressive as it seemed. However, it's also likely that the word's meaning simply evolved as people's perceptions of what was "standing out" changed. As for other examples of words that have undergone a similar shift in meaning, consider "savage." Originally, it meant "wild" or "untamed," but over time, it came to be associated with brutal or cruel behavior. Another example is "nice," which once meant "foolish" or "silly," but now generally means "pleasant" or "agreeable." You can start by looking into the historical contexts in which these words were used and how their meanings evolved over time.