Where does “idiote” come from?
idiote (Middle English) comes from Old French idiote, from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, from Ancient Greek ἴδιος, from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios.
Ancestry of “idiote”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | idiote | feminine singular of idiot; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Latin | idiōta | idiot, an ignorant, uneducated or illiterate person |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἰδιώτης | a private person, one not engaged in public... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἴδιος | pertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | *hwédios | — |