Where does “アイドル” come from?

アイドル (Japanese) comes from English idle, from Middle English idel, from Old English īdel, from Proto-West Germanic *īdl — void, empty, ineffective.

アイドル (Japanese): idol; popular person

Definitions

  1. idol; popular person

Ancestry of “アイドル”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishidleEmpty, vacant; Not being used appropriately; not...
2Middle Englishidel—
3Old Englishīdelempty, void; bereft
4Proto-West Germanic*īdlvoid, empty, ineffective

Words derived from “アイドル”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *īdl →Every word from Old English īdel →Every word from Middle English idel →