Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “simple” come from?

simple (Latin) comes from Latin simplus, from Latin -plus, from Latin plicāre, from Proto-Indo-European pleḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.

simple (Latin): vocative masculine singular of simplus

Definitions

  1. vocative masculine singular of simplus

Ancestry of “simple”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsimplussimple
2Latin-plus-fold
3Latinplicāre—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpleḱ-to fold, plait, weave
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →