Where does “idiot” come from?

idiot (Old French) comes from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, from Ancient Greek ἴδιος, from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios.

idiot (Old French): ignorant; narrow-minded

Definitions

  1. ignorant; narrow-minded

Ancestry of “idiot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinidiōtaidiot, an ignorant, uneducated or illiterate person
2Ancient Greekἰδιώτηςa private person, one not engaged in public...
3Ancient Greekἴδιοςpertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;...
4Proto-Hellenic*hwédios—

Words derived from “idiot”

Every word from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios →Every word from Ancient Greek ἴδιος →Every word from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης →
idiot — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer