Duplicitous
/duːˈplɪsɪtəs/noun
Deceitful or two-faced.
Did you know?Its ancestor is tied to the same ancient root behind words like two and double, so the “betrayal” in duplicitous is built on the idea of being divided into two.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwóh₁
“two”
Latin
Latin
duplus
“double, twofold”
Latin
Latin
duplicāre
“to double”
Late Latin
Latin
duplicītosus
“deceitful, twofold in character”
Middle English
English
duplicitous
“deceitful, marked by double-dealing”
Modern English
English
duplicitous
“deceitful or two-faced”