The word idiot originates from Greek word Ιδιώτης (idiotis) but in Greek has very different meaning. The word ιδιώτης means private person. The explanation for this transforamtion of the meaning comes from Ancient Athens. The word ιδιώτης had a very bad meaning in Ancient Athens. It was someone who was so ignorant that he cared only for his personal matters. Athenian Democracy was based on participation of every citizen to decision making. Several positions were given even by lottery and if someone that was chosen this way didn’t care for the public good he was idiot.
So they scholars used it in French and in English from the Athenian use of the word.
Idiot etymology and origin
