analphabet

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀναλφάβητος“illiterate”
2. Late Latin · derived fromanalphabetus“unable to read and write; illiterate”
3. English todayanalphabet

From Late Latin analphabetus (“unable to read and write; illiterate”), from Ancient Greek ἀναλφάβητος (analphábētos, “illiterate”), from ἀν- (an-, “un-”) + ἀλφάβητος (alphábētos, “alphabet”); analysable as an- + alphabet. The English word was probably influenced by cognate words in other languages such as French analphabète (adjective), German Analphabetus, Analphabet (nouns), analphabeten (adjective), Italian analfabeta (adjective, noun), analfabeto (adjective, noun), Portuguese analfabeto (adjective, noun), Spanish analfabeto (adjective, noun). The adjective was derived from the noun.

First known use, by meaning

• from mid 17th c. A person who does not know the letters of the alphabet; a partly or wholly illiterate person.
• from mid 17th c. Ignorant of the letters of the alphabet; partly or wholly illiterate.