Where does “motley fool” come from?
motley fool (English) comes from English fool, from French fouler, from Middle French fouller, from Old French foler, from Medieval Latin fullo, from Latin fullo, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.
motley fool (English): A court jester; a jester
Definitions
- A court jester; a jester
Ancestry of “motley fool”, step by step
motley fool traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fool
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fool | A person with poor judgment or little... |
| 2 | French | fouler | to stamp, impress, dent; to mill; to walk on,... |
| 3 | Middle French | fouller | to mistreat |
| 4 | Old French | foler | to destroy; to mistreat |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 6 | Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |