Fatuity
/fəˈtjuː.ə.ti/noun
Silliness or stupidity, especially in a way that seems smug or pointless.
Did you know?Fatuity comes from Latin fatuus, meaning “foolish” or “dull,” a root that also gave English the more direct insult “fatuous.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₂-
“To set, place, or put; the deeper origin behind a family of Latin words connected with speaking and making”
Latin
Latin
fatuus
“Foolish, silly, dull-witted, or insipid”
Late Latin
Latin
fatuitas
“Foolishness, silliness, stupidity”
Middle English
English
fatuite
“Foolishness or stupidity”
Modern English
English
fatuity
“Silliness or stupidity, especially self-satisfied or pointless foolishness”
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