idioticus

Forms

idiōticus (feminine idiōtica, neuter idiōticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἰδιωτικός (idiōtikós, “of a private person; unskilled, uneducated”),^[1][2][3] from ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “unskilled person, layman”),^[2][3] the source of idiōta.^[2] Georges and Gaffiot derive it from the Latin noun instead.^[4][5]

The TLL infers a spoken form without the first vowel, which survives in Italian zotico;^[6] Conte likewise derives the Italian word from Late Latin idiōticus.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) has the earliest example,^[1][6][2] addressing the soul as “rudem, impolitam et idioticam”, untaught, unpolished and unlearned.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it meant unskilled or simple: Donatus says a father in Terence speaks as an ordinary man, not as a teacher,^[6] and Marcellus calls a popular charm against gout a carmen idioticum.^[6] The adverb idiōticē meant “artlessly, simply”.^[6]

Thomas Netter used it in his polemic against the Lollards.^[8] English formed idiotic in the 18th century, partly after the Late Latin word.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian calls the soul idiotica.^[1][2]
• c. 310–380 AD – Donatus uses it in his commentary on Terence.^[6][2]
• 1713 – English forms idiotic, partly from it.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Uneducated, ignorant, unskilled; simple, popular.^[1][6][8]

Related words

• idiōta
• English idiotic

Usage notes

The adverb is idiōticē, “artlessly”.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press