Fool

[overdale]

Who invented the word 'Fool'

[Quizmonster]

The Latin word 'follem' meant 'bellows', as in the instrument used to blow life into a fire. In later years, therefore, it took on the meaning of 'wind-bag' and the idea of 'empty-headedness'. Hence, our current use of 'fool' to mean idiot/stupid person.

Where did you get the idea that some unnamed individual "invented" all these words you're asking about?

[bardotagogo]

Well, it is entirely possible that one person saw the connection between the bellows and the blustering fool..that is the nature of oral tradition and the spread of language throughout the world. Anyone who has studied the spread of the Indo-European language family can see clearly how certain words are taken on by certain communities. For example, the English word Squirrel comes from the Basque...surely this could only be explained by small clusters of people moving throughout Europe. The fact that we don't know their exact names does not make it a stupid question. Similarly, Viz comic has given rise to hundreds of different swear words and colloquial terms which are used throughout Britain in pubs every day. Nowadays, we can pinpoint the source (the comic artists) easily...of course this wouldn't have been so easily achieved with the oral tradition. Many of Shakespeare's terms and jokes originated in bawdy houses, yet each and every one probably did original from an unnamed and uncredited individual.

[bardotagogo]

oh yeah, just noticed the amount of daft Qs you have posted...don't you think you could stop wasting Quizmonster's time (and others) and just buy a sweary dictionary...then you can sit there in your student digs and pyao all day long! How old are you, btw?

[Athley]

Oh and I thought it was Mr T ??

[pitapan]

the filthy rich person who thought they had banks in heaven