Episode 105: Idiot
Words for Granted - An etymology and linguistics podcast - A podcast by Ray Belli
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In Ancient Greece, an "idiot", or idiotes, was a "private person", which meant someone who did not hold a political office. In this episode, we explore how the word's modern pejorative connotation emerged. We also look into the word's 19th and early 20th century association with the IQ test.
