Where does “idiot” come from?
Idiot comes from Middle English idiote, from Old French idiote, from Latin idiota, from Ancient Greek ἴδιος meaning private or one's own, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European swé.
idiot (English): A person of low general intelligence; A person...
Definitions
- A person of low general intelligence; A person...
Ancestry of “idiot”, step by step
idiot traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English idiote
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | idiote | — |
| 2 | Old French | idiote | feminine singular of idiot; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Latin | idiōta | idiot, an ignorant, uneducated or illiterate person |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἰδιώτης | a private person, one not engaged in public... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἴδιος | pertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *hwédios | — |
via Middle English ydiote
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ydiote | layman uneducated person |