Gargantua
/ɡɑːrˈɡæn.tʃu.ə/noun
A person or thing of enormous size, appetite, or capacity.
Did you know?Gargantua comes from François Rabelais’s giant character Gargantua, and the name likely echoes French gargante, meaning a big throat or gullet — perfect for a creature of impossible appetite.
Etymological Timeline
1534
French
Gargantua
“Rabelais’s giant character in satire, famous for monstrous size and appetite”
16th Century
French
gargante
“A throat or gullet; likely the name’s source or inspiration”
Late Medieval
Old French
gargate / gargue
“Throat, gullet, or jaws”
Pre-16th Century
Onomatopoeic / Romance
garg-
“A root imitating the sound of gurgling, swallowing, or the throat”