Where does “idiot” come from?
idiot (Romanian) comes from French idiot, from Old French idiot, from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, from Ancient Greek ἴδιος, from Proto-Hellenic *hwédios.
idiot (Romanian): idiot, moron, imbecile; stupid, idiotic, foolish,...
Definitions
- idiot, moron, imbecile; stupid, idiotic, foolish,...
Ancestry of “idiot”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | idiot | idiotic; stupid; idiot |
| 2 | Old French | idiot | ignorant; narrow-minded |
| 3 | Latin | idiōta | idiot, an ignorant, uneducated or illiterate person |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἰδιώτης | a private person, one not engaged in public... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἴδιος | pertaining to self, that is, one's own; private;... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *hwédios | — |