Etymology Explorer › Middle English

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchidiotefeminine singular of idiot; Alternative form of...
2Latinidiōta—
3Ancient Greekἰδιώτηςa private person, one not engaged in public...
4Ancient Greekἴδιοςpertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;...
5Proto-Hellenic*hwédios—

Words derived from “idiote”

  • idiot
  • idiotic
  • idiotically
  • idiotism
  • idiotical
  • idiocracy
  • idiotish
  • idiotize
  • idiotlike
  • idiotry
  • idiotese
  • unidiotic
  • idiot box
  • idiotist
  • idiotfest
  • idiot-proof
  • idioted
  • idiot light
  • idiots
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios →