Where does “simple” come from?
simple (Middle English) comes from Middle English symple, from Old French simple, from Latin simplex, from Latin -plex, from Latin plicō, from Proto-Indo-European pleḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.
simple (Middle English): Alternative form of symple
Definitions
- Alternative form of symple
Ancestry of “simple”, step by step
simple traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English symple
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | symple | virtuous, godly, without sin; simple, spartan,... |
| 2 | Old French | simple | innocent; mere; simple; honest; without pretense |
| 3 | Latin | simplex | single; simple, plain, uncompounded; pure,... |
| 4 | Latin | -plex | -fold |
| 5 | Latin | plicō | to fold, bend or flex; to roll up |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |
via French simple
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | simple | single; simple; one-way |