Where does “idiot” come from?

idiot (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, from Ancient Greek ἴδιος, from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios.

idiot (Norwegian Nynorsk): an idiot, imbecile, fool

Definitions

  1. an idiot, imbecile, fool

Ancestry of “idiot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekἰδιώτηςa private person, one not engaged in public...
2Ancient Greekἴδιοςpertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;...
3Proto-Hellenic*hwédios—

Words derived from “idiot”

Every word from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios →Every word from Ancient Greek ἴδιος →Every word from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης →