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Today it means

ignoramus

an ignorant or stupid person

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Where does the word "ignoramus" come from? It comes from Latin ignōrāmus, and was adopted directly into English (1610s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "ignoramus" come from? It comes from Latin ignōrāmus, and was adopted directly into English (1610s).

Ignoramus’s story begins in Latin: ignōrāmus meant “we do not know.” 'we do not know', from 'ignōrāre'. It reached English by 1610s as ignoramus. Grand juries wrote it on indictments they rejected; George Ruggle's 1615 play 'Ignoramus' made it the name of a foolish lawyer. Today, ignoramus means an ignorant or stupid person.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient ignōrāmus "we do not know", 'we do not know', from 'ignōrāre'.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1610s ignoramus "ignorant person", grand juries wrote it on indictments they rejected; George Ruggle's 1615 play 'Ignoramus' made it the name of a foolish lawyer.

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