Simpleton
/ˈsɪm.pəl.tən/noun
A foolish, gullible, or intellectually unsophisticated person.
Did you know?The ending “-ton” does not mean “town” here; it was a jocular English suffix used to create a person-name with a dismissive tone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sem-
“One; together; forming a unity”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἁπλοῦς (haplous)
“Single; simple; uncomplicated”
Classical Latin
Latin
simplus
“Single; simple; not complex”
12th Century
Old French
simple
“Plain, innocent, foolish, or lacking sophistication”
Middle English
English
simple
“Innocent, foolish, ignorant, or uncomplicated”
Early 17th Century
English
simpleton
“A simple or foolish person, formed from simple with a mocking personal-name suffix”
Explore more surprising origins