hermit

Where does the word "hermit" come from? It comes from Greek erēmitēs, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Hermit’s story begins in Greek: erēmitēs meant “desert-dweller.” Greek, from 'erēmos', desert. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as eremite. Early Christian ascetics lived alone in the Egyptian desert. It reached English by 1200s as hermit. 'hermit crab' dates from the 1700s. Today, hermit means a person living in solitude.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient erēmitēs "desert-dweller", Greek, from 'erēmos', desert.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval eremite "hermit", early Christian ascetics lived alone in the Egyptian desert.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s hermit "recluse", 'hermit crab' dates from the 1700s.