English
idiota
Idiota comes from Spanish idiota ‘idiotic’, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης ‘layman’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé ‘self’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swé‘self’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéd-yo-sreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hwédiosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἴδιοςídios‘private’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἰδιώτηςidiṓtēs‘layman’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEidiōta‘idiot’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentidiota‘idiotic’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swé‘self’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéd-yo-sreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hwédiosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἴδιοςídios‘private’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἰδιώτηςidiṓtēs‘layman’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEidiōta‘idiot’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentidiota‘idiotic’
- Englishtodaysame form
Equivalent to idi- + -ota
Proto-Indo-European *swé ‘self’
Proto-Indo-European *swéd-yo-s
Proto-Hellenic *hwédios
Ancient Greek ἴδιος ‘own, personal, distinct’
English idi-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *swé ‘self’
such, self, solo, suicide, sole, sans, solitary, solitude, desolate, swain, desolation, solitaire, sullen, solus, sere, 19 more
through Latin idiōta ‘idiot’
Today it means
noun Fool or imbecile.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *swé / idiota