simple

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
2. Proto-Indo-European*sm̥-
3. Latinsem-
4. Latinsimplu
5. Old Frenchsimple
6. Middle Englishsymple
7. English todaysimple

Inherited from Middle English symple, from Old French simple, from Latin simplex (“simple”, literally “onefold”) (as opposed to duplex (“double”, literally “twofold”)), from semel (“the same”) + plicō (“to fold”). See same and fold. Compare single, singular, simultaneous, etc. Partially displaced native English onefold.

Words from the same roots